magazines for creative writing

Welcome to NewPages.com

NewPages.com is your best guide to literary magazines, indie publishing, university presses, creative writing programs, writing and literary events, writing contests, calls for submissions, and more.

New Calls for Submissions & Writing Contests

Check out the latest calls for submissions and writing contests from independent publishers, literary magazines, creative writing programs, and more at our Guide to Submission Opportunities.

Invitation to Apply: CAPTRS AI Writing Contest

Deadline: November 9, 2024

Blink-Ink Issue #58: UFO

Deadline: October 15, 2024

Subscribe to our Email Newsletter

Subscribe to the NewPages.com Newsletter to get weekly updates on submission opportunities, many before they go live on our site, as well as the latest issues of literary and alternative magazines, new and forthcoming titles from university and indie presses, upcoming events, and more.

Latest from the NewPages Blog

Enjoy new issues of literary magazines; new and forthcoming titles from indie and university presses; reviews of literary pieces, books, and literary magazines; and other literary news.

Magazine Stand :: Chestnut Review – Summer 2024

September 4, 2024

Book Review :: Listening to Mars by Sally Ashton

September 3, 2024

Discover More

Newpages blog.

Stay up-to-date with the latest literary news from magazines, indie and university presses, and more.

Submission Calls

See which magazines, anthologies, and presses are open to submissions.

Writing Contests

Dive into contests from literary magazines, indie publishers, writing programs, and more.

Young Writers Guide

Find a curated list of vetted, no-fee contests and publications that accept entries from young writers.

Writing Conferences

Discover upcoming writing conferences and literary events across the United States, Canada, and abroad.

Explore a vetted list of hundreds of print, online, and digital literary magazines.

Publications on topics including ecology, health, human rights, and more.

New Mag Issues

A regularly updated list of the latest issues of literary and alternative magazines.

Independent Bookstores

Support new and used indie bookstores across the United States, its territories, and Canada.

Indie Presses

A leading resource for independent, university, and small presses.

Discover new and forthcoming titles from indie and university presses.

Creative Writing Programs

Your first stop for undergraduate programs, classes, and degrees as well as graduate creative writing programs offering MA, MFA, and PhD degrees.

Literary Links

A guide to review sites, publishing news, podcasts, videos, audio programs, and so much more.

Book Reviews

Discover your next read with short reviews of new and forthcoming titles.

Mag Reviews

Enjoy short reviews of entire issues of literary magazines and shorter pieces.

Write for Us

NewPages is always looking for short reviews of books and magazines! Learn more about writing reviews for our “What I’m Reading” blog series here.

Mailing Lists

NewPages offers mailings lists of independent bookstores in the US and Canada as well as public libraries and academic libraries in the US.

Get more visibility for your journal, press, creative writing program, literary or writing event, call, or contest with an advertisement on NewPages.

Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Best Literary Magazines in 2024

Showing 133 magazines that match your search.

Hayden's Ferry Review

Print magazine for Fiction , Poetry , Short Fiction ,

Hayden’s Ferry Review looks for well-crafted work that takes risks, challenges readers, and engages us emotionally and artistically. A small portion of our publication is solicited from established authors, while the majority of our contributors are chosen from the thousands of manuscripts we receive each year.

Submission guidelines →

🌍 Territory: USA

💰 Submission fee: $3

⏱️ Frequency: 2 times a year

🧑‍💻 Online submissions: Yes

American Chordata

Print magazine for Fiction , Poetry , Non-Fiction ,

American Chordata is a biannual magazine of bright voices in fiction, nonfiction essay, and poetry, as well as art and photography. We are founded on the belief that a good literary magazine can celebrate sophisticated design and earnest expression on the same page.

Nimrod International Journal, founded in 1956 at The University of Tulsa, has been active in the discovery and publication of new writers for more than 60 years. Nimrod has also encouraged and rewarded new writers for more than 30 years through The Nimrod Literary Awards.

Looking for an editor to polish your manuscript?

The best professionals are already on Reedsy, come meet them. Create your free account to request free quotes today.

Learn more about the Reedsy Marketplace .

The Atlantic

Print & Online magazine for Fiction , Non-Fiction , Poetry , Short Fiction ,

The Atlantic is always interested in great nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. A general familiarity with what we have published in the past is the best guide to what we're looking for. All manuscripts should be submitted as a Word document or PDF. Succinct pitches may be submitted in the body of an email.

💰 Submission fee: $0

⏱️ Frequency: 10 times a year

Online magazine for Art , Fiction , Non-Fiction , Poetry , Scripts , Short Fiction ,

Shorts is a free online magazine launched in February 2020 with the aim of bringing together writers and creative artists from all over the world. Shorts particularly encourages submissions from marginalised communities, and from new and emerging writers. Shorts was established in a time of growing isolationism on the part of the UK and the US, and aims to combat this by uniting global creatives and nurturing unheard voices. It is an LGBTQ+ friendly platform with a liberal outlook.

🌍 Territory: United States

⏱️ Frequency: 4 times a year

Grub Street

Print & Online magazine for Art , Fiction , Non-Fiction , Poetry , Scripts , Short Fiction ,

Founded in 1952, Grub Street is Towson University's student-run literary magazine that is published annually. We accept work from anyone and especially look to promote voices from new writers. We feature poetry, fiction, nonfiction, visual art, essays, and plays in our print and online editions.

⏱️ Frequency: 1 times a year

Print magazine for Short Fiction ,

PROMPTED is a celebration of the power of inspiration, and the places our imagination can take us with the slightest nudge. Each story is inspired by a one-sentence prompt, and written in a single week.

🌍 Territory: Worldwide

💰 Submission fee: $5

Nowhere Magazine

Print & Online magazine for Fiction ,

Every week we publish a feature-length story, photo essay or film that will delve into a new corner of the planet. Our goal is to surprise you every week. As travelers, we thought you would appreciate that. So be sure to check back and see what we’re up to. We print one edition annually.

Southampton Review

Print & Online magazine for Fiction , Poetry , Non-Fiction , Scripts ,

Dedicated to publishing fine fiction, nonfiction, plays, screenplays, poetry, literary cartoons, photography and art, The Southampton Review opens its pages to writers from across the globe whose work is compelling. Our pages are equally devoted to emerging and established writers and artists.

The Antigonish Review

Founded in 1970, The Antigonish Review is the third longest-running creative-writing journal in the Maritimes and one of the oldest continuing literary magazines in Canada.

👀 Average visits: 349,600 /month

🌍 Territory: Canada

Epiphany is committed to publishing literary work, wherever it may fall on the spectrum from experimental to traditional, that is realized both in its vision and its devotion to artistry. We are especially open to writers whose explorations of new territory may not yet have found validation elsewhere.

Kenyon Review

Print magazine for Poetry , Short Fiction , Scripts ,

Building on a tradition of excellence dating back to 1939, the Kenyon Review has evolved from a distinguished literary magazine to a pre-eminent arts organization. Today, KR is devoted to nurturing, publishing, and celebrating the best in contemporary writing. We're expanding the community of diverse readers and writers, across the globe, at every stage of their lives.

👀 Average visits: 111,000 /month

⏱️ Frequency: 6 times a year

Print & Online magazine for Fiction , Poetry , Non-Fiction ,

Witness blends the features of a literary and an issue-oriented magazine to highlight the role of the modern writer as witness to their times.

💰 Submission fee: $2

⏱️ Frequency: 3 times a year

Beneath Ceaseless Skies

Online magazine for Fiction , Short Fiction ,

Beneath Ceaseless Skies publishes “literary adventure fantasy”: stories with a secondary-world setting and some fantasy feel, but written with a literary approach.

⏱️ Frequency: 24 times a year

Redivider is a nationally distributed journal of new art and literature produced by and representing the graduate students in the Writing, Literature, and Publishing program at Emerson College in Boston. Published twice a year, we welcome art, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry submissions from new, emerging, and established artists and writers. And if you're wondering about the name, it's a palindrome!

Run a literary magazine? Submit it to our directory!

The halls of literary success are paved with authors who got their start appearing in literary magazines — such as Zora Neale Hurston, Truman Capote, William Faulkner, Edith Wharton, Ursula Le Guin, J.D. Salinger, George Saunders, Alice Munro, Flannery O’Connor, and many more. 

For centuries, literary magazines have highlighted works that would otherwise struggle to reach readers. Poetry, short stories, essays are all forms of writing that own very tiny shares in the publishing landscape — except in the world of literary magazines, where they reign supreme.

If you’re an aspiring author, submitting to literary magazines is a great way to get your foot into the door of the publishing industry, as it allows you to build up your credentials and reach readers. That being said, having your work appear in a literary magazine isn’t as easy as hitting “submit.” While they can act as a stepping stone for writers who wish to go on to have a career in publishing, you shouldn’t view literary magazines as simply a means to an end — if only because doing so will very likely reduce your chances of ever actually being featured in one of them.

And on that note, let’s get started with our first tip for getting your work featured in some of the best literary magazines out there.

Tips for submitting to literary magazines 

Ensure you’re submitting to the right places.

When you think of literary magazines, your mind might automatically go to The New Yorker . Or it might go to independent webzines that specialize in very niche genres. Maybe you think of university-funded quarterlies like The New England Review . All this is to say that the range of lit mags out there is broad and the kinds of things they publish also ranges — from short lit fic to flash space operas, and everything in between. 

So before you decide to submit your short stories or poetry to a magazine, make sure you do your due diligence and research what kinds of things they publish, and where your work is really a match.

Don’t submit to tons of publications all at one

“Cast a wide net” shouldn’t be your mantra when it comes to submitting to lit mags. As mentioned, all magazines have their own styles. So spending your time ensuring your submissions are targeted at the right places is much more valuable than sending your writing to as many different publications as possible. Editors can usually scout fairly quickly the pieces that have been submitted en masse, without any regard for their specific publication.

Instead, make a list of the magazines you want to submit to and group them into tiers. Tier One can be your top five magazines, Tier Two your next five favorite, and so on. This is not only a good way to make sure you’re giving each submission care and attention, it’s also a good way to make sure you don’t get the same piece of writing accepted by two different magazines, forcing you to pull your submission from one of them.

When it comes to making your list, don’t only consider what magazines have prestige, huge audiences, or hefty cash payouts. The best magazines to submit to are the ones that you actually enjoy reading. Because chances are those are the magazines that are going to be most interested in the kind of things you’re writing.

Keep your cover letter short and to-the-point

Editors are not won over by cover letters. If you’ve written a great story and have publishing credentials to boot, sure, your cover letter might help win them over. But if your submission isn’t strong, your cover letter is going to mean nil. So let your cover letter mention the important bits, make sure it provides any specific information that’s requested in the submission guidelines, and let your entry do the heavy lifting. 

Typically, a cover letter will mention a couple of the previous places you’ve been published as well as any other relevant experience you might have. You can also add a personal touch by mentioning a previous story or issue you particularly enjoyed.

What your letter shouldn’t mention is every place you’ve been published (up to 5 will suffice). It shouldn’t summarize your entry, your life story, or your “writing journey,” and any previous experience you mention should be related in some way to writing, publishing, or your entry.

Thoroughly edit your story — and follow submission guidelines!

An editor is probably not going to banish an otherwise very strong entry to the slush pile because of a misplaced typo. That being said, they have lots of reading to do, and while most editors won’t consciously read an entry looking for reasons not to like it, at the end of the day they can only accept so many pieces. So if you make their jobs easier by giving them a reason to pass on your piece, they’re going to take it. If it’s not adequately proofread, there’s only so long someone can continue reading even the strongest writing before the spelling errors convince them to stop.

Another quick way to convince an editor to pass on your entry is to not follow the submission guidelines. If the guidelines ask you to include specific information or to format your story in a certain way, follow those instructions to a tee. If the guide doesn’t tell you how to format your story, go classic: Arial or Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced. To ensure your submissions look professional, you can always copy and paste them into our free formatting tool, the Reedsy Book Editor !

Editors do want to like your submission

The publishing world is competitive, so it’s natural for authors to stress about all the little details of submitting to a literary magazine — whether to add page numbers to their document, who to address in their cover letter, whether they’ll stand a chance as a brand new author, etc. And while we did just mention that editors generally won’t put up a fight if you give them a reason to pass on your entry, they also won’t toss aside a submission they love just because the full package isn’t 100% perfect.

Remember, editors are looking for quality art they feel is going to resonate with their readers. If you can provide them with that, they’re going to be on your side.

Don’t just do it for the money or prestige

If you’re submitting to lit mags with the hopes of raking in the cash, you are more than likely going to be disappointed. Sure, there are some big-time magazines out there that offer larger paycheques to their writers and widespread readership, but many of them don’t accept unsolicited submissions — or come with extremely steep competition.

Most literary magazines are run on very tiny budgets that can’t afford to pay the writers they feature. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t submit to them. The exposure and credibility an emerging writer can gain from having their work featured across a number of smaller, indie publications are still very valuable and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Have fun — and be proud of what you publish!

Yes, having your work appear in literary magazines can help build up your publishing resume. But if you’re not writing and publishing work you feel really proud of, what’s the point? Readers don’t need more stories that make it into magazines because they follow the right trends or say the right things, we want literature that the author clearly loved writing. 

So, as we mentioned earlier, don’t just submit a piece because you think it’s going to get you somewhere. Submit something because you think it’s strong, unique, and worthwhile. Write and submit work you can proudly stand by! 

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

Save your shortlist

Enter your email address to save your shortlist so that you don't lose it!

By continuing, you will also receive Reedsy's weekly publishing tips and access to our free webinars.

We sent over your shortlist. Thank you for using Reedsy's Magazine Directory, happy publishing! 🙌

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in Reedsy Studio. 100% free.

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

Creative and Scholarly Writing: Literary Journals & Magazines

• About this Guide
• Literary Journals & Magazines
• Presentations and Conference Papers
• Getting Published

Literary and Scholarly Journals and Magazines

• General Literary
• Non-Fiction
• Research Journals
• Screenwriting

Explore this list of general literary publications for magazines and journals that publish multiple forms of creative writing such as fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. 

• Agni Agni is printed twice a year and publishes poetry, fiction, essays, reviews, interviews, and artwork.
• The Antioch Review The Antioch Review publishes nonfiction essays, fiction, and poetry from promising and prominent authors.
• Ascentos Review The Acentos Review publishes poetry, fiction, memoir, interviews, translations, and artwork by emerging and established Latinx writers and artists four times a year.
• Boulevard Boulevard is a literary magazine issued bi-annually that publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
• Calliope Calliope is the official publication of the Writers Special Interest Group (SIG) of American Mensa, Ltd. Calliope is essentially a writer’s workshop that provides a forum for writers to exchange ideas, learn about the craft of writing, and see their work in print.
• Chicago Review The Chicago Review is a quarterly publication that publishes contemporary poetry, fiction, and criticism.
• Colorado Review The Colorado Review is a quarterly publication that prints fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
• Five Points Five Points publishes art, non-fiction, fiction, and poetry.
• Gettysburg Review The Gettysburg Review is a quarterly publication that publishes essays, fiction, poetry, and art.
• Harper's Magazine Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts.
• Harvard Review The Harvard Review is issued bi-annually and publishes poetry, short stories, essays, and visual art.
• Hudson Review The Hudson Review is a quarterly publication that publishes fiction, essays, and poetry.
• Iowa Review The Iowa Review is issued three times a year and publishes essays, short fiction, poetry, and reviews.
• Kenyon Review The Kenyon Review is an international journal of literature, culture, and the arts that is published quarterly.
• Michigan Quarterly Review The Michigan Quarterly Review is a quarterly publication that publishes non-fiction, fiction, and poetry.
• Narrative Narrative is the official journal of International Society for the Study of Narrative. Its mission is to publish essays that contribute to both narrative theory and the interpretation of individual narratives. The journal is interested in narrative across disciplines and across media, and, thus, it welcomes submissions on the theory and interpretation of the novel, the short story, narrative poetry, history, biography, autobiography, memoir, film, television, journalism, comics and other graphic arts, music, performance, legal writing, medical case histories, and more.
• New England Review The New England Review is an American quarterly literary magazine published by Middlebury College.
• The New Yorker The New Yorker is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry.
• Ploughshares Since its founding in 1971, stories, poems, and essays from Ploughshares have appeared over 150 times in the following award series anthologies: The Best American Poetry, The Best American Short Stories, The Best American Essays, The O. Henry Prize Stories, and The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses.
• Prairie Schooner The Prairie Schooner is a quarterly publication that publishes short fiction, essays, and poetry.
• Shenandoah Shenandoah publishes comics, fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
• The Southern Review The Southern Review is a quarterly journal that publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from established and emerging writers.
• Southwest Review Southwest Review is issued quarterly and publishes short fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
• Subtropics Subtropics publishes fiction, essays, and poetry.
• Threepenny Review Threepenny Review is issued quarterly and publishes fiction, memoirs, poetry, essays and criticism.
• TriQuarterly TriQuarterly is a literary magazine issued twice a year that publishes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and craft essays.
• The Virginia Quarterly Review The Virginia Quarterly Review is a quarterly literary magazine that publishes poetry, short fiction, and non-fiction works.
• The Yale Literary Magazine The Yale Literary Magazine is the oldest student literary magazine in the United States and publishes poetry, fiction, and visual art by Yale undergraduates twice per academic year

Explore this list of publications for literary magazines that publish mostly fiction writing.  

• 100 Word Story (Online) Publishes stories comprised of 100 words.
• American Short Fiction American Short Fiction is printed triannually and publishes short fiction stories. Several stories are made available on their website.
• Novel: A Forum on Fiction Novel is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to the best new criticism and theory in novel studies. The journal took up this mission in the days of formalism and has responded to the innovative moments in the field during the half-century that has elapsed since then—including ideology critique, feminist and critical race theory, poststructuralism, cultural studies, and new historicism—by publishing the most interesting new work on the novel. Novel is especially interested in theory and scholarship that address these changes in terms of their formal, historical, political, and/or epistemological significance.
• Valparaiso Fiction Review (online) Valparaiso Fiction Review (VFR) is a publication of Valparaiso University and its Department of English. It features fiction from established and emerging authors. Issues are available on the journal's website.

Explore this list of publications for literary magazines that publish mostly non-fiction writing.  

• Creative Nonfiction Creative Nonfiction was the first literary magazine to exclusively publish non-fiction prose.
• Fourth Genre (online) Fourth Genre publishes innovative work in non-fiction. Their website publishes some articles online, including essays on craft.

Explore this list of publications for literary magazines that publish mostly poetry.  

• American Poetry Review Issued bi-monthly, the American Poetry Review publishes only poetry.
• Moving Poems This website maintains an anthology of videopoetry.
• Poetry Poetry magazine is one of the leading poetry magazines in the United States. It is published monthly.
• Valparaiso Poetry Review (online) Valparaiso Poetry Review (VPR) is a publication of Valparaiso University and its Department of English. It features fiction from established and emerging authors. Issues are available on the journal's website.

Explore this list of publications for scholarly literature journals. This list is composed of highly cited literature journals that focus on research and critical analysis. 

• American Literary History Covering the study of US literature from its origins through the present. Along with an annual special issue, the journal features essay-reviews, commentaries, and critical exchanges. It welcomes articles on historical and theoretical problems as well as writers and works. Inter-disciplinary studies from related fields are also invited.
• American Literature American Literature has been regarded since its inception as the preeminent periodical in its field. Each issue contains articles covering the works of several American authors—from colonial to contemporary—as well as an extensive book review section.
• Boundary 2 Boundary 2 publishes critical and scholarly materials relating to the study of literature and the humanities in the most important intellectual, literary, and cultural contexts and in a manner fully informed by important developments in theory and method.
• Classical Quarterly Since its foundation in 1908, The Classical Quarterly has had a reputation for publishing classical scholarship of the highest quality. It publishes research papers and shorter notes in the fields of Greek and Latin language, literature, history and philosophy. Two substantial issues of The Classical Quarterly appear each year; and given the quality, range and depth of the articles which the journal publishes, no serious classical library can do without a subscription.
• CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture is a peer-reviewed, full-text, and open-access journal. It publishes new scholarship in theory and criticism, comparative literature, and cultural studies.
• College Composition and Communication College Composition and Communication publishes research and scholarship in rhetoric and composition studies that supports college teachers in reflecting on and improving their practices in teaching writing and that reflects the most current scholarship and theory in the field.
• College Literature College Literature is dedicated to publishing innovative scholarly research across the range of periods, intellectual fields, and geographical locations that comprise the changing discipline of Anglophone and comparative literary studies. The journal is committed to the renewal of critique without restricting its scope to a particular national, chronological, intra-disciplinary or identity-based focus.
• Comparative Literature The oldest journal in its field in the United States, Comparative Literature explores issues in literary history and theory. The ACLA-affiliated publication presents a variety of critical approaches and offers a wide-ranging look at the intersections of national literatures, global literary trends, and theoretical discourse.
• Comparative Literature Studies Founded in 1963, Comparative Literature Studies publishes critical comparative essays on literature, cultural production, the relationship between aesthetics and political thought, and histories and philosophies of form across the world. Articles may also address the transregional and transhistorical circulation of genres and movements across different languages, time periods, and media.
• Contemporary Literature Contemporary Literature publishes scholarly essays on contemporary writing in English, interviews with established and emerging authors, and reviews of recent critical books in the field. The journal welcomes articles on multiple genres, including poetry, the novel, drama, creative nonfiction, new media and digital literature, and graphic narrative.
• Early American Literature Founded in 1965, Early American Literature is the official journal of the MLA’s Forum on Early American Literature. It is the only journal that focuses on the scholarship and criticism of American literature through the early national period. It typically includes articles, provocations and inventions, review essays, and many book, resource, and conference reviews.
• Eighteenth-Century Fiction Eighteenth-Century Fiction (ECF) is an international, peer-reviewed quarterly devoted to the critical and historical investigation of literature and culture of the period 1660-1832.
• ELH - English Literary History ELH welcomes sophisticated, groundbreaking essays on all literatures in English and on cultural forms and contexts related to those literatures.
• English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920 From 1957-2020, English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920 published articles on fiction, poetry, drama, or subjects of cultural interest in the 1880–1920 period of British literature.
• English Studies in Canada ESC is an academic journal based at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada, and is the official journal of the Association of Canadian College and University Teachers of English. As Canada's leading generalist journal in the discipline of English Studies, they publish quarterly in print and digital formats to a global audience.
• Explicator Concentrating on works that are frequently anthologized and studied in college classrooms, The Explicator, with its yearly index of titles, is a must for college and university libraries and teachers of literature. Text-based criticism thrives in The Explicator. One of few in its class, the journal publishes concise notes on passages of prose and poetry. Each issue contains between 25 and 30 notes on works of literature, ranging from ancient Greek and Roman times to our own, from throughout the world. Students rely on The Explicator for insight into works they are studying.
• The French Review The French Review is the official journal of the American Association of Teachers of French and has the largest circulation of any scholarly journal of French studies in the world. The Review publishes articles and reviews on French and francophone literature, cinema, society and culture, linguistics, technology, and pedagogy six times a year.
• Huntington Library Quarterly The Huntington Library Quarterly, launched in 1937, has been integral to the scholarly profile of The Huntington for over eighty years. Today it is an important interdisciplinary venue for academic studies of British and American history, literature, and art history in the early modern period.
• Journal of African Cultural Studies The Journal of African Cultural Studies publishes leading scholarship on African culture from inside and outside Africa, with a special commitment to Africa-based authors and to African languages. The journal focuses on dimensions of African culture, performance arts, visual arts, music, cinema, the role of the media, the relationship between culture and power, as well as issues within such fields as popular culture in Africa, sociolinguistic topics of cultural interest, and culture and gender.
• Journal of Popular Culture The Journal of Popular Culture (TJPC) is a peer-reviewed journal and the official publication of the Popular Culture Association. The Journal of Popular Culture continues to break down the barriers between so-called “low” and “high” culture and focuses on filling in the gaps a neglect of popular culture has left in our understanding of the workings of society.
• Language and Literature Language and Literature is an invaluable international peer-reviewed journal that covers the latest research in stylistics, defined as the study of style in literary and non-literary language. They publish theoretical, empirical and experimental research that aims to make a contribution to our understanding of style and its effects on readers.
• MFS - Modern Fiction Studies MFS publishes scholarly essays that analyze the important aesthetic, cultural, political, and environmental developments currently shaping today’s academic and public conversations. A leading international literature and humanities journal, MFS focuses on the various modalities and uses of fiction in the broadest sense of the term—publishing material designed to speak to a wide audience of scholars, public intellectuals, and cultural practitioners working across diverse fields, regions, and venues.
• MLN - Modern Language Notes More than one hundred twenty-five years ago, MLN pioneered the introduction of contemporary continental criticism into American scholarship. Since then, its reputation for high standards and excellent quality has continued and grown. Critical studies in the modern languages are featured in four issues (Italian, Hispanic, German, French) and recent work in comparative literature provides the foundation for the articles and notes in MLN. Every volume contains four single-language issues and one comparative literature issue.
• Modern Language Quarterly Modern Language Quarterly accepts articles that pay attention to the broader scope of literary history regardless of genre or period. The focus of publication—and the sticking point—is literary history. General theory, historicist contextualizations, and self-contained close readings are not published
• New Literary History New Literary History focuses on questions of theory, method, interpretation, and literary history. Rather than espousing a single ideology or intellectual framework, it canvasses a wide range of scholarly concerns. By examining the bases of criticism, the journal provokes debate on the relations between literary and cultural texts and present needs.
• Paragraph Paragraph is a leading journal in modern critical theory, exploring critical theory in general and its application to literature, other arts, including film and visual culture, and society. Regular special issues by esteemed guest editors highlight important figures and themes in modern critical theory, such as Paul B. Preciado, Sarah Kofman, queer theory, film and the imagination, the human-animal relation, Francophone communities and more.
• PMLA: Publications of the Modern Language Association of America PMLA is the journal of the Modern Language Association of America. Since 1884 PMLA has published members’ essays judged to be of interest to scholars and teachers of language and literature. Four issues each year (January, March, May, and October) present essays on language and literature, and the September issue is the program for the association’s annual convention.
• Renaissance Quarterly Renaissance Quarterly welcomes essays of various lengths, up to a maximum of 15,000 words (including notes, bibliography, and any appendices). They publish articles in all the fields represented by the Renaissance Society of America. Geographically, the journal’s reach includes Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and beyond. Chronologically, the journal focuses on the period 1300-1700 as well as the afterlife of the Renaissance in later periods across cultural production.
• Research in African Literatures Research in African Literatures, founded in 1970, is the premier journal of African literary studies worldwide and provides a forum in English for research on the oral and written literatures of Africa. In addition to thought-provoking essays, reviews of current scholarly books appear in every issue, often presented as critical essays, and a forum offers readers the opportunity to respond to issues raised in articles and book reviews. Thematic clusters of articles and frequent special issues reveal the broad interests of its readership.
• The Review of English Studies The Review of English Studies is the leading scholarly journal in the field of English literature and the English language from the earliest period up to today. Emphasis is on historical scholarship rather than interpretive criticism, though fresh evaluation of writers and their work are also offered in the light of newly discovered or existing material.
• Rhetoric Review Rhetoric Review (RR) , a scholarly interdisciplinary journal of rhetoric that publishes in all areas of rhetoric and writing and provides a professional forum for its readers to consider and discuss current topics and issues. The journal publishes manuscripts that explore the breadth and depth of the discipline, including history, theory, writing, praxis, philosophy, professional writing, rhetorical criticism, cultural studies, multiple literacies, technology, public address, graduate education, and professional issues.
• Science-Fiction Studies Science Fiction Studies is a refereed scholarly journal devoted to the study of the genre of science fiction, broadly defined. It publishes articles about science fiction and book reviews on science fiction criticism; it does not publish fiction. SFS is widely considered to be the premier academic journal in its field, with strong theoretical, historical, and international coverage. Roughly one-third of its issues to date have been special issues, with recent topics including Technoculture and Science Fiction, Afrofuturism, Latin American Science Fiction, and Animal Studies and Science Fiction.
• Shakespeare Quarterly Shakespeare Quarterly (SQ) is a leading journal in Shakespeare studies, publishing highly original, rigorously researched essays, notes, and book reviews. Published for the Folger Shakespeare Library by Oxford University Press, SQ is peer-reviewed and extremely selective.
• Southern Literary Journal Published semiannually since 1967, The Southern Literary Journal is concerned with the literary and intellectual life of the American South, in the most expansive sense of that term. It features essays dealing with southern writing from all periods and genres, and its eclectic approach includes literary criticism, historical studies, and thematic and comparative analysis.
• Studies in American Indian Literatures Studies in American Indian Literatures (SAIL) is the only journal in the United States that focuses exclusively on American Indian literatures. With a wide scope of scholars and creative contributors, this journal is on the cutting edge of activity in the field. SAIL invites the submission of scholarly, critical pedagogical, and theoretical manuscripts focused on any aspect of American Indian literatures as well as the submission of bibliographical essays, review essays, and interviews. SAIL defines "literatures" broadly to include all written, spoken, and visual texts created by Native peoples.
• Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 (SEL) focuses on four fields of British Literature which rotate quarterly as follows: Winter-English Renaissance, Spring-Tudor and Stuart Drama, Summer-Restoration and Eighteenth Century, and Autumn-Nineteenth Century. It includes historical and critical essays that contribute to the understanding of English Literature.
• Studies in Romanticism Studies in Romanticism is the flagship journal of Romantic literary studies. Edited at Boston University since its founding there in 1961, SiR has been committed to advancing the study of literature and culture in the dynamic "Romantic Century" of 1750-1850. International in sympathies and interdisciplinary in approaches, SiR publishes the highest caliber scholarship on British, Anglophone, and European Romantic-era studies from diverse methodological perspectives.
• Studies in the Novel Since its inception in 1969, Studies in the Novel has published incisive criticism of the novel across all periods and genres, and from all interpretive approaches. Covering both emerging and established novelists, its issues feature five to six essays, eight to ten reviews of recent books on novels and novelists, and the occasional review essay. Ambitious, comprehensive coverage includes essays reflecting interdisciplinary and theoretically diverse approaches to the novel, and articles are rigorously refereed by scholars drawn from an extensive international pool. Once a year, Studies in the Novel engages a renowned guest editor and publishes a special issue focused on a single topic or author.
• Style Style addresses questions of style, stylistics, and poetics including research and theory in discourse analysis, literary and nonliterary genres, narrative, figuration, metrics, rhetorical analysis, and the pedagogy of style. Contributions may draw from such fields as literary criticism, critical theory, computational linguistics, cognitive linguistics, philosophy of language, and rhetoric and writing studies. In addition, Style publishes reviews, review-essays, surveys, interviews, translations, enumerative and annotated bibliographies, and reports on conferences, Web sites, and software.
• SubStance For over 50 years, SubStance has published rigorous, creative contributions to contemporary critical debates from a range of theoretical perspectives. Consistent with our commitment to readers and authors to expect the unexpected, our series SubStance At Play invites experimental visual and digital submissions that seek to extend the boundaries of established scholarship.
• TDR - The Drama Review TDR provides scholarship on performances and their social, economic and political contexts. With an emphasis on the experimental, avant-garde, intercultural and interdisciplinary, it covers dance theatre, performance art, popular entertainment, media, sports, rituals and performance in politics and everyday life.
• Text and Performance Quarterly Text and Performance Quarterly (TPQ) is a peer-reviewed publication of the National Communication Association. TPQ publishes original scholarship that explores and advances the study of performance as a social, critical, communicative practice; as a theoretical lens; as a critical method; as a technology of representation and expression; and as a hermeneutic. Scholarship in TPQ addresses performance and the performative from a wide range of perspectives and methodologies, and it investigates sites of performance from the classical stage to popular culture to the practices of everyday life.
• Theatre Journal Over seven decades, Theatre Journal has achieved an international reputation as one of the most significant publications of theatre and performance studies today. The journal features scholarly articles that are at the cutting edge of theatre, dance, and performance studies; focusing on historiographical, cultural, and/or theoretical analyses in both national and transnational contexts. Two special issues and two general issues are published each year; all issues include book and performance reviews. The journal also features an online section that includes interviews with artists, think pieces, and other alternative approaches to knowledge production.
• Victorian Studies One of the first interdisciplinary journals in the humanities, founded in 1956, Victorian Studies remains the flagship journal in the field. Featuring essays on topics from literature, social and political history, fine arts, science, philosophy, economics, and law, Victorian Studies is the official journal of the North American Victorian Studies Association (NAVSA), publishing an annual special issue devoted to the NAVSA conference.
• Victorians: A Journal of Culture and Literature Victorians: A Journal of Culture and Literature welcomes interdisciplinary approaches to Victorian literature and culture that respond to developmental shifts in the discipline of Victorian studies. Formerly named The Victorian Newsletter (ISSN: 0042-5192), Victorians Journal looks forward to continuing its long history of scholarly excellence and professional integrity.

Explore this list of publications for journals that publish about screenwriting.

• Creative Screenwriting Creative Screenwriting magazine is an educational online resource for screenwriters and filmmakers. They publish articles on the screenwriting craft and the business landscape as well as comprehensive interviews with working screenwriters and creative executives.
• << Previous: Databases
• Next: Presentations and Conference Papers >>
• Last Updated: Sep 4, 2024 3:41 PM
• URL: https://libguides.mccd.edu/CreativeWriting

COACHING + PUBLISHING

FORMATTING + DESIGN

FREELANCE COMMUNITY

• Literary Magazines That Pay Writers: Pitch These 20 Markets

Arnita Williams

Write for literary magazines: 11 tips for freelancers

Want to write creative non-fiction, essays, short stories, or poetry…and get paid? There’s an often overlooked niche for your creative work: literary magazines.

If you have a journal of creative work tucked away in a desk drawer, it’s time fetch it. Literary magazines will pay you for:

• Non-fiction
• Flash fiction
• Non-academic essays
• Photography
• Interviews of emerging artists, or 
• Recent book reviews 

There’s a mix of markets in the literary magazine niche that welcome emerging and seasoned writers, as well as some pubs that offer a combination of both. 

Although a few literary magazines and journals may be difficult to break into, take advantage of opportunities to submit your work to be read by distinguished authors and editors when the markets are open.

Grab your unpublished work, review the list of literary magazines that pay writers, and submit your best work. 

Ready to get started? Check out this list of 20 literary magazines that pay freelancers:

This literary magazine offers an assortment of exceptional essays, poems, stories, and translations. 

TIP: This pub seeks fictional short stories, and non-fiction literary essays, memoirs, reviews. Journalism or academic work is not accepted.

Contact: Email Co-Editor Sven Birkerts

Rate: Pays $20 per page, up to $300

2. Allegory

Online magazine published bi-annually in May and November, which specializes in fantasy, horror, and science fiction.

TIP: Seeks original work “with a twist.” No sex or violence. But you can’t go wrong with funny submissions.

Contact: Email Publisher and Managing Editor Ty Drago

Rate: Non-Fiction pays $15 per article | Fiction pays $15 per story

Publishes literary and artwork quarterly, which covers art, fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

TIP: Pays expenses of non-fiction writers on assignment.

Contact: Editor Briony Bax  

Rate: Contact editor.

4. American Poetry Review

This bi-monthly magazine publishes literary prose and contemporary poetry, which covers fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

Contact: Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Scanlon : 

Rate: $1 per line for Poetry | $60 per page for prose

5. Ancient Paths

Online publication, which publishes top-quality poetry, short fiction, and spiritual themes on art. 

TIP: This is a great platform on which new poets and storytellers can begin having their work published.

Contact: Email Skylar Burris

Rate: $1.25 per work published | $1.25 per poem

6. Bennington Review

Publishes a variety of literary works: poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and film writing.

TIP: Submissions will be accepted September 1, 2022. Check submission guidelines for details.

Contact: Email Managing Editor Katrina Turner

Rate: $100 for 1 – 6 pages of typeset prose. $200 for 7+ typeset pages. $20 per poem.

7. Copper Nickel

This national literary journal publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry works, which is maintained at the University of Colorado Denver.

TIP: Needs non-fiction essays. Submit poetry to editors, Brian Barker and Nicky Beer. Joanna Luloff is the fiction and non-fiction editor. Teague Bohlen is also a fiction editor.

Contact: Email Editor/Managing Editor Wayne Miller  

Rate: $30 per printed page / non-fiction, fiction, and poetry 

8. Frontier Poetry

This literary magazine publishes poetry from new, emerging, and establishing poets.

Contact: Email Associate Editor Jeni De La O or Editor-in-Chief I.S. Jones  

Rate: $50 – $150 for poetry

9. Grain Magazine

A quarterly literary magazine of eclectic writing, available in print.

Contact: Email Editor Mari-Lou Rowley

Rate: Poetry $5 – $250

10. Longleaf Review

A quarterly online literary journal that believes “everyone has a story to tell,” and where everyone is welcome. It is an excellent platform for new creative writers.

Follow submission guidelines to present your creative fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid works.

Contact: Email Editor Paige Perez

Rate: $20 per piece.

11. New Letters

This quarterly magazine covers fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

TIP: In need of “creative nonfiction or personal essays.” Any subject, style, or genre. Exceptions: Not interested in footnoted scholarly or critical essays, or commercial-type essays. No self-help, how-to, or non-literary work.

Contact: Email Editor-in-Chief Christie Hodgen

Rate: Pays $15-$50 up to 5,000 words, also pays expenses of writers on assignment for nonfiction. Pays $15-$50 up to 5,000 words for fiction. Poetry pays $10 – $25 with unlimited word count.

12. New Reader Magazine

This quarterly arts and literature journal that covers fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction, poetry, memoirs, interviews, and lyrical essays.

Contact: Email Managing Editor Joseph Chino Castanares

Rate: Poetry starts @ $5 per piece |  Fiction, Memoirs, Reportage, Interviews, Lyrical Essays start at $10 per piece |  Fiction over 1,000 words starts @ $20.

13. Ninth Letter

Ninth Letter is a literary journal published by the Department of English at the University of Illinois, which publishes “prose and poetry that experiment with form, narrative, and non-traditional subject matter, as well as more traditional literary work.”

TIP: The editorial staff rotates, and there is a different editor assigned to nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Check the submission guidelines for the appropriate editor.

Contact: Email Editor Jodee Stanley 

Rate: Nonfiction, fiction, and poetry pays $25 per printed page.  

14. One Story

This literary magazine actually publishes one story every three to four weeks, which its readers are sent by mail as a printed copy.

TIP: One Story currently needs short fiction stories “that are strong enough to stand alone-the best you can give.”

Contact: Email publisher Maribeth Batcha

Rate: Pays $500 for 3,000 – 8,000 words.

In addition to “news, reviews, letters, and features, this pub covers tons of poetry and artwork.

TIP: Needs essays, reviews, and technical feature stories. Check submission guidelines, as content needs change.

Contact: Email Editor Carole Baldock

Rate: $50 for nonfiction

16. Paris Review

Publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry on a quarterly basis of high-quality. 

Contact: Email Editor Emily Stokes

Rate: $100 per poem. Pays $1,000 – $3,000 for fiction and pays expenses of writers on assignment for nonfiction projects. 

Publishes poetry quarterly in-print and daily online.

TIP : An excellent publication for emerging poets.

Contact: Email editor Timothy Green  

Rate: $50 per poem for online contributors, and $100 per poem for in-print contributors.

18. ThreePenny Review

A general-interest literary magazine published quarterly, which publishes nonfiction, fiction, and poetry.

TIP: Nonfiction, the genre most open to freelance writers. Check submission guidelines.

Contact: Email: Editor Wendy Lesser

Rate: Nonfiction – $400 for 1,500 – 4,000 words. 

This literary magazine covers the gamut of poetry, fiction, short fiction, nonfiction, photography, multimedia, and essays, which publishes quarterly.

Contact: Email Editor Paul Reyes

Rate: Poetry pays $200 per poem, up to 4 poems. For 5+ poems, pay is usually $1,000+. Short fiction pays $1,000 +. Personal essays and literary criticism pay $1,000+ at .25 cents per word, depending on length.

20. ZYZZYVA

Publishes a mix of curated works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry of established and new talent of contemporary arts. 

TIP: Will begin accepting submissions September 1 st . Check submission guidelines .

Contact: Email: Managing Editor Oscar Villalon

Rate: Pays $50 for each nonfiction piece, plus expenses paid for writers on assignment. Pays $50 for fiction, and $50 for poetry.

Looking for some insider tips about how to pitch literary magazines, land assignments, and get paid? Check out these 11 tips to get started:

• Read the guidelines and back issues of lit mags to which you want to submit work. 
• Find the right contact info. Submit your literary work to the appropriate editor. 
• Watch for literary magazines and journals that have specific editors assigned exclusively to poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art, essays, interviews, book reviews, and photography. Here is some literary advice from agents.
• Only submit your work during the dates specified by the publication . Some pubs only accept literary work during specific times of the year. The submission schedule can be found within the guidelines.
• Literary magazines are competitive and can be tough to break into. They only have a limited number of spots available; this is so editors can carefully read each piece.
• Make your submission stand out. Since the market is so competitive, with editors overwhelmed with submissions, they read quickly with an eye to reject a piece. This process narrows the selection process. So, make your piece stand out above the rest.
• Take a different approach. To make your piece stand out, lit mags and journals seek fresh, “different and original” creative literary pieces-knock the editor off their feet and sweep them away!
• Don’t fear the online submission process. Submitting your literary work may require that you submit the finished piece via an “online submission manager.” The most used submission manager is called “submittable,” which is available on the submission page of the lit mag or journal.
• No academic essays. Although a few lit mags and journals are published by universities, they are not looking for academic essays.
• A small fee is charged by some lit pubs upon submission of your work, as a reading fee; about $3 per submission, and the fee could be higher.
• If you’re seeking alternative ways to get your literary work published , some magazines have literary competitions, which offer monetary rewards to the winner of $1,000+.

So, get your creative juices flowing, or dust-off your cherished unpublished literary work, go forth, and share it with the world.

Do you write for literary magazines? Tell us about it in the comments.

Previous Post

How to Get Into Gonzo Journalism

How To Find Food Writing Jobs -- 7 Places to Look

Related Posts

Get Paid to Write Poetry: 14 Markets for Freelance Writers

Can you actually get paid to write poetry? Yes. I’ve written poetry for a long list of publications, and ultimately published a book of poetry. It’s not the only way I make a living writing, but submitting poems for money is certainly one of my income streams.

Write for Magazines: 21 Publications That Pay $500+ Per Assignment

Want to write for magazines?

It’s a great way to make a living writing if you pitch the right publications. How about $500 or more per assignment?

If you’ve been cranking out magazine stories for $50 to $150 a pop, you may be wondering if that’s really even possible. That’s often the going rate for local, regional, or small-circulation magazines.

If you want to write for magazines, and have limited experience, these are great places to get some clips, and earn some money, but it shouldn’t be your last stop.

Many consumer and trade magazines pay $500 or more per assignment. And the pitching process is pretty much the same as smaller pubs:

• Identify a magazine you want to write for
• Study the submission guidelines
• Develop a solid story idea
• Do a little research and interview a source
• Write a killer query letter, and pitch your story idea to an editor

If you can do that, you’ve got the chops to get paid well to write for magazines. But you need to know where to look for those $500-plus assignments. Check out these 25 magazines to get started.

Make Money on Medium: Pitch These 10 Pubs That Pay Writers

Want to make money on Medium as a freelance writer? Not pocket change…pro freelancer rates. Pitch these 10 pubs on the platform.

Want a full month of poetry workshops? The Writer's Room for Poets is now open for enrollment. Get a full month of inspiration, writing prompts, and generative workshops. Plus, join lively discussions with acclaimed poets and editors. Learn more and enroll here.

Written by S. Kalekar January 16th, 2023

30 Magazines Accepting Creative Nonfiction and Essays

These literary magazines and other outlets publish a variety of nonfiction/essays. A few are looking for themed submissions. Some of them pay writers. Most, but not all, of them are open for submissions now. They’re in no particular order.

TOLKA Journal Their website says, “Tolka is a biannual literary journal of non-fiction: publishing essays, reportage, travel writing, auto-fiction, individual stories and the writing that flows in between. We are a journal for writers to express themselves beyond the limits of fixed genres, forms or subjects. … We encourage writers to test the creative boundaries of non-fiction.” They publish work by Irish and international writers, of 2,000-4,000 words. Pay is €500. The deadline is 22 January 2023. Details here .

Vast Chasm They publish “bold work that explores the expansive human experience, including flash and short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and other nonconforming work.” Pay is $50 for prose up to 5,000 words. They read submissions on an ongoing basis. Details here .

Porkbelly Press They read for their chapbook series in January – these can be creative nonfiction such as lyric essays & flash, poetry or prose poems, collections of flash or micro fiction, graphic narratives, sequential artwork, or combinations of the above (tightly linked by theme, image, voice, etc.). Please submit 12 – 26 pages for chapbooks. They are queer friendly and feminist. “Our catalog favors lit & poetry leaning heavily toward fabulism, folklore, & magic—often confessional or intimate poems or personal lyric essay. All work should be tightly linked.” For nonfiction chapbooks, “We particularly enjoy multiple short essays, but will consider a one-essay chap if the essay is just that good. We lean toward braided forms (narratives with 3 or more threads tied together), and also consider things like character sketches, travel narratives, and collections of vignettes.” See guidelines and Submittable pages for further details. Pay is author copies. The deadline for chapbook submissions is 31 January 2023. Also see their reading periods for works in other genres. Details here and here .

The Christian Science Monitor: The Home Forum This news organization accepts pitches from freelancers and writers, and submissions for The Home Forum , where they want “upbeat personal essays of from 600 to 800 words. … For time-sensitive material (seasonal, news-related, holiday- or event-themed), you must submit at least SIX WEEKS in advance.” Also, “These are first-person, nonfiction explorations of how you responded to a place, a person, a situation, an event, or happenings in everyday life. Tell a story with a point; share a funny true tale. Describe a self-discovery. The humor should be gentle. We accept essays on a wide variety of subjects and encourage timely, newsy topics. However, we don’t deal with the topics of death, aging, medicine, or disease. We do not publish work that presents people in helpless or hopeless states.” They pay $250 for these essays. Details here .

The Every Animal Project This is an anthology about courageous animals, and they also will publish work on their website. “Stories must be true (non-fiction). They must relate to non-human animals (of any species) and can be about your personal experiences/growth because of an animal, an issue threatening animals today, or other aspects of the human/non-human animal relationship. For the upcoming anthology, please weave the theme of courage/bravery into your story. We are particularly interested in spotlighting species less familiar to people, like insects, marine animals, and reptiles.” One writer will get an award of $300, another will be awarded $200, and other writers whose work is chosen for the print anthology get $50; writers whose work features online get $20. The deadline is 31 March 2023. Details here .

The Lumiere Review Their website says, “We are intrigued by the inextinguishable sparks of truth and connection, the effervescent meddling of narrative, and the luminous creations that expand on perceptions of genre, language, and form.” They have a call for BIPOC creatives on the Justice theme (deadline – 15 February 2023). For general submissions, they publish creative nonfiction (up to 3,000 words), fiction, and poetry. They publish quarterly, pay $10, and read submissions on an ongoing basis. Details here .

The Four Faced Liar This is a new print journal; they published their first issue in January 2023. They publish creative nonfiction (up to 4,000 words), fiction, poetry, and art. Pay is €200 for short creative nonfiction and fiction, €100 for a poem or piece of flash, and €100 for art. Watch for their next submission period on Twitter . Details here .

Gray’s Sporting Journal This is a magazine about hunting and fishing, and they publish articles on those topics. They also have a feature called Yarns, which is campfire tales – fact or fiction, of 750-1,500 words. They also publish some poetry. Pay is an average of $600 for Yarns, and poems pay $100. Features for the magazine pay more. Details here .

Narrative This magazine publishes work in various genres – nonfiction (including written, audio, and video), fiction, poetry, and drama. They charge a submission fee through the year but during the first two weeks of April, they offer fee-free submissions made specifically in the Open Reading category. They pay $100-500. Details here .

MudRoom Magazine Their website says, “our mission is to provide every writer, emerging and established, the opportunity to both see their work published, and engage with a larger literary community.” They publish essays, essays in translation, fiction, and poetry. Send prose of up to 6,000 words. Pay is $15, and the deadline is 25 January 2023 for their Winter issue. Details here .

The Fieldstone Review This is the literary journal of the University of Saskatchewan. They accept submissions of creative nonfiction (up to 2,500 words), literature & book reviews (of Canadian literature), fiction and poetry, for its 2023 issue. They are reading submissions on the Reversals theme. “Turning points. Twists. Changing fortunes and shifting gears. We want your clever, surprising and dizzying reversals––be it through character, plot or formal elements!” One contributor will get awarded CAD100. The deadline is 1 March 2023. Details here .

The Meadowlark Review This journal is associated with the University of Wyoming. “Based in Laramie, Wyoming, we’re inspired by the American West, but we love work that pushes against the traditional Western narrative, as well as new perspectives, unexpected twists, and pieces that have absolutely nothing to do with the West. We are especially interested in hybrid works and works that break the mold and push the boundaries of today’s literature.” They publish nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Send work of 10-5,000 words. The deadline is 31 January 2023. Details here .

The Forge Literary Magazine They accept creative nonfiction (up to 3,000 words, but can accept up to 5,000) and fiction. They open on the 1 st of most months for fee-free submissions, and close when the cap is reached. They pay $75. Details here .

fron//tera This is a bilingual print magazine, in Spanish and English. They publish nonfiction (up to 5,000 words), fiction, poetry, art, and submissions can be in Spanish or English; they’ll also publish a couple of short dual-language English and Spanish pieces side by side (see guidelines). They pay $25-50. They’re reading work on the Phantoms theme till 1 February 2023. Details here .

The Healing Muse This is the annual journal of literary and visual art published by SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Center for Bioethics & Humanities. They publish narratives, memoirs, fiction, poetry, and art, particularly but not exclusively focusing on themes of medicine, illness, disability and healing. They accept prose up to 2,500 words. The deadline is 15 April 2023. They also have a poetry prize for medical students and physicians , of $250. Details here .

The Lascaux Review They publish creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry of literary quality, as well as essays on the craft and business of writing. “Creative nonfiction may include memoirs, chronicles, personal essays, humorous perspectives, literary journalism—anything the author has witnessed, experienced, learned, or discovered. Creative nonfiction should be written in a nonacademic style. For the Bistro (our blog), we’re looking for posts about writing, literature, agents, publishing, hangover recipes—anything to do with the craft and business of writing. Topics must be relevant to our audience, which consists of sophisticated journeyman writers and poets.” Submissions are open year-round. Details here .

The Paris Review They will reopen for prose submissions in March 2023. Currently, they are accepting poetry submissions; the Submittable cap is reached but they will read postal submissions, postmarked till 31 January 2023. They pay. Details here .

Nashville Review This magazine is associated with Vanderbilt University. They publish creative nonfiction (across the spectrum, including memoir excerpts, essays, imaginative meditations, of up to 8,000 words), fiction (including flash and novel excerpts), poetry, translations, and art. They accept submissions of art and comics year-round, and other genres are accepted in January, May, and September. Submissions may close earlier than scheduled if the cap is reached. Pay is $25 for poetry, and $100 for prose. The deadline is 31 January 2023, or until filled. Details here .

Porridge They publish a variety of genres, and are open for online and print issues occasionally. They are always open for their Comfort Food section – “The COMFORT FOODS series publishes creative responses to the relationship between food and culture, identity and cuisine, from people in diaspora or those from various marginalised identities. From eating away exile to 2,000 word philosophical treatises on biryani, we’re here for it. … We’ll accept creative non-fiction, food writing, poetry, and artwork on this theme.” Details here .

Electric Lit They are always open for detailed essay pitches. “Electric Literature’s essays examine books and culture through a personal and critical lens. … Pitches should describe the subject matter of the essay (which must be about books, writing, or narrative media like movies, games, and TV) and give a sense of the argument you plan to make or the story you plan to tell. We welcome thoughtful considerations of new releases, overlooked classics, childhood favorites—anything that can illuminate or be illuminated by the human experience.” They will open for other genres in February ( Recommended Reading – longer fiction, pays $300, open 1-12 February; and The Commuter – poetry, flash, graphic, and experimental narratives, pays $100, open 13-19 February 2023). Details here . Sojournal This is a travel journal, and their tagline is ‘One Image One Story’. “At present we only publish non-fiction travel stories that tell us about the black and white image you have supplied. We have a bias toward clear, concise, understandable work that communicates, surprises or disturbs – writing that bears witness to the world we live in.” Send work of up to 800 words. Details here .

Chicken Soup for the Soul They publish uplifting, true stories and poems. They regularly post themes they are accepting submissions on (currently, these are: Angels ; How stepping outside my comfort zone changed me ; Miracles ; and The power of positive thinking ). They pay $250 for work up to 1,200 words, as well as 10 contributor copies. Details here (also see tabs on the page – Possible book topics, Submissions FAQ, and Submit your story).

Unfortunately, Literary Magazine For nonfiction, “We’re interested in memoir/personal essays, feature articles, and any mix thereof. Shameless navel-gazing is fine by us.” Also, “Send us your work that’s too quirky, too dark, too queer, not the right kind of queer, too female-driven, too literary, not literary enough. Too much, too little, we want to see it all. Our only requirement is that you get your piece rejected elsewhere at least once before submitting to us.” They also publish fiction, art, and poetry. They read submissions in January, April, July, and October. See this Twitter thread to see the kind of work they’d like to see more of. Details here and here .

Miracle Monocle This magazine is associated with the University of Louisville. “For creative nonfiction, please submit one piece of 500-10,000 words. We’re looking for essays with aspects of personal narrative, reporting, and the lyric; we’re also interested in flash. Please do not send excerpts of longer works unless the piece can stand alone.” They also publish fiction, hybrid, poetry, art, and have an award for young Black writers , which pays $200 – for this award, writers must be 25 years old or younger and identify as Black. The deadline is 31 January 2023, or until a submission cap is reached. Details here .

Round Table Literary Journal Their website says, this is “an award-winning, historic print literary journal now in our fifty-sixth year of existence. We publish literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art once a year.” They are associated with Hopkinsville Community College. The deadline is 15 February 2023. Payment is contributor copies. Details here and here .

The Sunlight Press They publish personal essays (750-1,000 words), artists on craft series (up to 1,000 words), fiction, poetry, reviews, and photos. They pay $15-40. Details here .

Terrain.org This is a magazine that focuses on place, climate, and justice. They publish nonfiction (up to 5,000 words), fiction, poetry, and pay a minimum of $50. Submissions by marginalized creators are considered for an annual prize of $500. The deadline is 30 April 2023. Details here .

Motherwell This is a parenting magazine, and they take personal essays on parenting, as well as work on other themes and genres. For personal essays, “We are looking for evocative first-person narratives that have a unique focus, or take a novel angle, on a slice of the parenting experience. We are open to a range of styles and tones: the only requirement is that the essay works on its own terms—be it lyrical, humorous, research-oriented, etc—and conveys something fundamental about its writer. Up to 1,200 words.“ Some of the work they publish is paid, and some is unpaid (see guidelines). Details here . Masque & Spectacle They publish nonfiction essays, literary analysis pieces, and personal essay/memoirs of up to 7,500 words. They also accept fiction, poetry, drama, reviews, art, audio, and video submissions. The deadline is 31 January 2023. Details here .

The Sun This venerable magazine charges for online submissions via Submittable, but not for submissions by post, of essays, fiction, and poetry. Online submission of photos is not charged. Payment for regular essays starts at $300. And online submissions for themed short nonfiction pieces for the Readers Write section are fee-free – their upcoming themes are Idols , due 1 February, and Privacy , due 1 March 2023; payment for Readers Write is magazine subscription. Details here and here .

Bio:  S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached  here .

We Send You Publishers Seeking Submissions.

Sign up for our free e-magazine and we will send you reviews of publishers seeking short stories, poetry, essays, and books.

Subscribe now and we'll send you a free copy of our book Submit, Publish, Repeat

Enter Your Email Address:

August 9, 2024

Free Talk: Manuscript Publishing for Novelists

Emily Harstone is the author of The 2024 Guide to Manuscript Publishers, The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submission, and a founding editor for Authors Publish Magazine. Download the Slides.

Available to watch right now, completely free.

June 11, 2024

Free Talk: An Introduction to Publishing Your Writing in Literary Journals

You can download the slides here, and take a look at the sample submission tracker here. Shannan Mann is the Founding Editor of ONLY POEMS. She has been awarded or placed for the Palette Love and Eros Prize, Rattle Poetry Prize, and Auburn Witness Poetry Prize among others. Her poems appear in Poetry Daily, EPOCH,…

September 5, 2024

9 Publishers Open to Submissions in September 2024

Major publishers and small presses accepting direct submissions. No agent required.

Wrong Turn Lit: Now Seeking Submissions

An online journal accepting fiction, nonfiction, poetry, interviews, and editorials.

September 3, 2024

Finch Books: Accepting Manuscript Submissions

A publisher accepting Young Adult and New Adult Romance. They pay royalties.

Paper Angel Press: Accepting Manuscript Submissions

A small press accepting fiction in several genres. No agent required.

• Entire Site Manuscript Publishers Literary Journals Search

A little something about you, the author. Nothing lengthy, just an overview.

• 180 Literary Journals for Creative Writers
• 182 Short Fiction Publishers
• Authors Publish Magazine
• Back Issues
• Confirmation: The Authors Publish Introduction to Marketing Your Book
• Download “How to Publish Your Book!”
• Download Page: How to Market Your Novel on Facebook
• Download Page: Self-Publishing Success – 8 Case Studies
• Download Page: Submit, Publish, Repeat
• Download Page: Submit, Publish, Repeat –– 4th Edition
• Download Page: Submit, Publish, Repeat: 3rd Edition
• Download Page: The 2015 Guide to Manuscript Publishers
• Download Page: The Unofficial Goodreads Author Guide
• Download: “The Authors Publish Compendium of Writing Prompts”
• Download: Get Your Book Published
• Download: The Authors Publish Compendium of Writing Prompts
• Emily Harstone
• Free Book: 8 Ways Through Publisher’s Block
• Free Books from Authors Publish Press
• Free Lecture & Discussion: Senior Book Publicist Isabella Nugent on Setting Yourself Up for Success
• Free Lecture from Kim Addonizio: Make a Book – Shaping Your Poetry Manuscript
• Free Lecture: Everyday Activities to Improve Your Writing
• Free Lecture: How to Publish Your Writing in Literary Journals
• Free Lecture: How to Write a Book that Keeps Readers Up All Night
• Free Lecture: How to Write Layered Stories that Keep Readers Glued to the Page with Nev March
• Free Lecture: Introduction to Diversity Reading for Authors
• Free Lecture: Passion, Professionalized – How to Build an Authentic & Thriving Writing Career
• Free Lecture: The Art of Book Reviewing — How to Write & Get Paid for Book Reviews
• Free Lecture: The Art of Fresh Imagery in Poetry
• Free Lecture: The Art of the Zuihitsu with Eugenia Leigh
• Free Lecture: The Magic of Productivity – How to Write Effortlessly and Quickly
• Free Lecture: Write Like a Wild Thing – 6 Lessons on Crafting an Unforgettable Story
• Free Lectures from Award Winning Authors & Publishing Professionals
• How to Promote Your Book
• How to Revise Your Writing for Publication, While Honoring Your Vision as an Author
• How to Write a Dynamic Act One ‒ A Guide for Novelists
• How to Write With Surprising Perspectives — What Dutch Masters Can Teach Us About Telling Stories
• Lecture: How to Keep Readers Glued to Every Page of Your Book with Microplotting
• Lecture: How to Publish Your Creative Writing in Literary Journals
• Lecture: How to Write a Memoir that Wins Over Readers and Publishers
• Lecture: How to Write Opening Pages that Hook Readers and Publishers
• Lecture: How to Write Romance Novels Readers Will Love
• Lecture: The Art of Collaboration With Vi Khi Nao
• Lecture: The Art of Poetic Efficiency – Strategies for Elevating Your Prose and Poetry
• Lecture: The First Twenty Pages
• Lecture: The Magic of Metaphor – How to Create Vivid Metaphors that Can Transform Your Writing
• Lecture: Tips and Tricks for Revising Your Manuscript to Make It Shine
• Lecture: Writing from Dreams
• Lecture: Writing to Save the World with Danté Stewart
• New Front Page
• Now Available: The 2017 Guide to Manuscript Publishers
• Now Available: The 2018 Guide to Manuscript Publishers
• Office Hours With Ella Peary
• Poem to Book: The Poet’s Path to a Traditional Publisher
• Privacy Policy
• Random Prompt
• River Woman, River Demon Pre-Order Event: Discussing Book Marketing With Jennifer Givhan and Her Book Publicist, Isabella Nugent
• Submit to Authors Publish Magazine
• Submit, Publish, Repeat: 2023 Edition
• Taming the Wild Beast: Making Inspiration Work for You
• Test Live Stream
• Thank You for Attending the Lecture
• Thank You For Subscribing
• The 2018 Guide to Manuscript Publishers — 172 Traditional Book Publishers
• The 2019 Guide to Manuscript Publishers – 178 Traditional Book Publishers
• The 2023 Guide to Manuscript Publishers – 280 Traditional Book Publishers
• The Art of Narrative Structures
• The Authors Publish Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Publishing – Second Edition
• The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submission
• The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submission (Fifth Edition)
• The Authors Publish Guide to Memoir Writing and Publishing
• The Authors Publish Quick-Start Guide to Flash Fiction
• The First Twenty Pages
• The Six Month Novel Writing Plan: Download Page
• The Writer’s Workshop – Office Hours with Emily Harstone
• How to Add a Document to a Discussion
• How to Mark All of the Lessons in a Thinkific Course “Complete”
• How to Navigate a Thinkific Course
• How to Start a Discussion on Thinkific
• How to Upload an Assignment in Thinkific
• We Help Authors Find the Right Publisher for Their Books
• Welcome to Authors Publish: We Help Writers Get Published
• Work With Us
• Writing from the Upside Down – Stranger Things, Duende, & Subverting Expectations
• Your Book On The Kindle!
• September 2024
• August 2024
• February 2024
• January 2024
• December 2023
• November 2023
• October 2023
• September 2023
• August 2023
• February 2023
• January 2023
• December 2022
• November 2022
• October 2022
• September 2022
• August 2022
• February 2022
• January 2022
• December 2021
• November 2021
• October 2021
• September 2021
• August 2021
• February 2021
• January 2021
• December 2020
• November 2020
• October 2020
• September 2020
• August 2020
• February 2020
• January 2020
• December 2019
• November 2019
• October 2019
• September 2019
• August 2019
• February 2019
• January 2019
• December 2018
• November 2018
• October 2018
• September 2018
• August 2018
• February 2018
• January 2018
• December 2017
• November 2017
• October 2017
• September 2017
• August 2017
• February 2017
• January 2017
• December 2016
• November 2016
• October 2016
• September 2016
• August 2016
• February 2016
• January 2016
• December 2015
• November 2015
• October 2015
• September 2015
• August 2015
• February 2015
• January 2015
• December 2014
• November 2014
• October 2014
• September 2014
• August 2014
• February 2014
• January 2014
• December 2013
• November 2013
• October 2013
• September 2013
• August 2013
• Announcement 1
• Calls for Submissions 93
• Case Studies 10
• Completely ready unscheduled article 4
• Issue Two Hundred Twenty Two 1
• Issue Eight 4
• Issue Eighteen 5
• Issue Eighty 6
• Issue Eighty-Eight 6
• Issue Eighty-Five 6
• Issue Eighty-Four 5
• Issue Eighty-Nine 7
• Issue Eighty-One 6
• Issue Eighty-Seven 4
• Issue Eighty-Six 6
• Issue Eighty-Three 5
• Issue Eighty-Two 4
• Issue Eleven 5
• Issue Fifteen 4
• Issue Fifty 6
• Issue Fifty Eight 6
• Issue Fifty Five 6
• Issue Fifty Four 5
• Issue Fifty Nine 5
• Issue Fifty One 6
• Issue Fifty Seven 5
• Issue Fifty Six 6
• Issue Fifty Three 4
• Issue Fifty Two 6
• Issue Five 4
• Issue Five Hundred 3
• Issue Five Hundred Eight 3
• Issue Five Hundred Eighteen 5
• Issue Five Hundred Eighty 3
• Issue Five Hundred Eighty Eight 3
• Issue Five Hundred Eighty Five 3
• Issue Five Hundred Eighty Four 3
• Issue Five Hundred Eighty One 3
• Issue Five Hundred Eighty Seven 3
• Issue Five Hundred Eighty Six 3
• Issue Five Hundred Eighty Three 4
• Issue Five Hundred Eighty Two 4
• Issue Five Hundred Eleven 5
• Issue Five Hundred Fifteen 4
• Issue Five Hundred Fifty 4
• Issue Five Hundred Fifty Eight 4
• Issue Five Hundred Fifty Five 4
• Issue Five Hundred Fifty Four 5
• Issue Five Hundred Fifty Nine 4
• Issue Five Hundred Fifty One 4
• Issue Five Hundred Fifty Seven 4
• Issue Five Hundred Fifty Six 3
• Issue Five Hundred Fifty Three 4
• Issue Five Hundred Fifty Two 5
• Issue Five Hundred Five 4
• Issue Five Hundred Forty 5
• Issue Five Hundred Forty Eight 4
• Issue Five Hundred Forty Five 4
• Issue Five Hundred Forty Four 5
• Issue Five Hundred Forty Nine 4
• Issue Five Hundred Forty One 4
• Issue Five Hundred Forty Seven 4
• Issue Five Hundred Forty Six 4
• Issue Five Hundred Forty Three 3
• Issue Five Hundred Forty Two 3
• Issue Five Hundred Four 4
• Issue Five Hundred Fourteen 6
• Issue Five Hundred Nine 4
• Issue Five Hundred Nineteen 4
• Issue Five Hundred One 5
• Issue Five Hundred Seven 4
• Issue Five Hundred Seventeen 3
• Issue Five Hundred Seventy 4
• Issue Five Hundred Seventy Eight 3
• Issue Five Hundred Seventy Five 4
• Issue Five Hundred Seventy Four 4
• Issue Five Hundred Seventy Nine 4
• Issue Five Hundred Seventy One 4
• Issue Five Hundred Seventy Seven 4
• Issue Five Hundred Seventy Six 3
• Issue Five Hundred Seventy Three 3
• Issue Five Hundred Seventy Two 3
• Issue Five Hundred Six 4
• Issue Five Hundred Sixteen 5
• Issue Five Hundred Sixty 2
• Issue Five Hundred Sixty Eight 3
• Issue Five Hundred Sixty Five 3
• Issue Five Hundred Sixty Four 4
• Issue Five Hundred Sixty Nine 4
• Issue Five Hundred Sixty One 3
• Issue Five Hundred Sixty Seven 4
• Issue Five Hundred Sixty Six 4
• Issue Five Hundred Sixty Three 4
• Issue Five Hundred Sixty Two 4
• Issue Five Hundred Ten 3
• Issue Five Hundred Thirteen 3
• Issue Five Hundred Thirty 4
• Issue Five Hundred Thirty Eight 4
• Issue Five Hundred Thirty Five 3
• Issue Five Hundred Thirty Four 3
• Issue Five Hundred Thirty Nine 3
• Issue Five Hundred Thirty One 4
• Issue Five Hundred Thirty Seven 4
• Issue Five Hundred Thirty Six 4
• Issue Five Hundred Thirty Three 4
• Issue Five Hundred Thirty Two 4
• Issue Five Hundred Three 4
• Issue Five Hundred Twelve 3
• Issue Five Hundred Twenty 5
• Issue Five Hundred Twenty Eight 4
• Issue Five Hundred Twenty Five 3
• Issue Five Hundred Twenty Four 4
• Issue Five Hundred Twenty Nine 4
• Issue Five Hundred Twenty One 3
• Issue Five Hundred Twenty Seven 4
• Issue Five Hundred Twenty Six 4
• Issue Five Hundred Twenty Three 3
• Issue Five Hundred Twenty Two 4
• Issue Five Hundred Two 4
• Issue Forty 4
• Issue Forty Eight 5
• Issue Forty Five 6
• Issue Forty Four 6
• Issue Forty Nine 6
• Issue Forty One 4
• Issue Forty Seven 5
• Issue Forty Six 6
• Issue Forty Three 5
• Issue Forty Two 5
• Issue Four 5
• Issue Four Hundred 3
• Issue Four Hundred Eight 2
• Issue Four Hundred Eighteen 4
• Issue Four Hundred Eighty 4
• Issue Four Hundred Eighty Eight 4
• Issue Four Hundred Eighty Five 5
• Issue Four Hundred Eighty Four 3
• Issue Four Hundred Eighty Nine 4
• Issue Four Hundred Eighty One 4
• Issue Four Hundred Eighty Seven 3
• Issue Four Hundred Eighty Six 4
• Issue Four Hundred Eighty Three 4
• Issue Four Hundred Eighty Two 3
• Issue Four Hundred Eleven 3
• Issue Four Hundred Fifteen 3
• Issue Four Hundred Fifty 3
• Issue Four Hundred Fifty Eight 4
• Issue Four Hundred Fifty Five 4
• Issue Four Hundred Fifty Four 4
• Issue Four Hundred Fifty Nine 4
• Issue Four Hundred Fifty One 3
• Issue Four Hundred Fifty Seven 4
• Issue Four Hundred Fifty Six 4
• Issue Four Hundred Fifty Three 4
• Issue Four Hundred Fifty Two 4
• Issue Four Hundred Five 4
• Issue Four Hundred Forty 4
• Issue Four Hundred Forty Eight 3
• Issue Four Hundred Forty Five 3
• Issue Four Hundred Forty Four 4
• Issue Four Hundred Forty Nine 3
• Issue Four Hundred Forty One 3
• Issue Four Hundred Forty Seven 3
• Issue Four Hundred Forty Six 3
• Issue Four Hundred Forty Three 2
• Issue Four Hundred Forty Two 5
• Issue Four Hundred Four 3
• Issue Four Hundred Fourteen 4
• Issue Four Hundred Nine 5
• Issue Four Hundred Nineteen 4
• Issue Four Hundred Ninety 4
• Issue Four Hundred Ninety Eight 4
• Issue Four Hundred Ninety Five 3
• Issue Four Hundred Ninety Four 4
• Issue Four Hundred Ninety Nine 3
• Issue Four Hundred Ninety One 3
• Issue Four Hundred Ninety Seven 3
• Issue Four Hundred Ninety Six 4
• Issue Four Hundred Ninety Three 4
• Issue Four Hundred Ninety Two 5
• Issue Four Hundred One 3
• Issue Four Hundred Seven 3
• Issue Four Hundred Seventeen 3
• Issue Four Hundred Seventy 4
• Issue Four Hundred Seventy Eight 4
• Issue Four Hundred Seventy Five 4
• Issue Four Hundred Seventy Four 4
• Issue Four Hundred Seventy Nine 4
• Issue Four Hundred Seventy One 5
• Issue Four Hundred Seventy Seven 4
• Issue Four Hundred Seventy Six 3
• Issue Four Hundred Seventy Three 3
• Issue Four Hundred Seventy Two 4
• Issue Four Hundred Six 4
• Issue Four Hundred Sixteen 3
• Issue Four Hundred Sixty 3
• Issue Four Hundred Sixty Eight 4
• Issue Four Hundred Sixty Five 5
• Issue Four Hundred Sixty Four 4
• Issue Four Hundred Sixty Nine 2
• Issue Four Hundred Sixty One 3
• Issue Four Hundred Sixty Seven 4
• Issue Four Hundred Sixty Six 4
• Issue Four Hundred Sixty Three 4
• Issue Four Hundred Sixty Two 4
• Issue Four Hundred Ten 3
• Issue Four Hundred Thirteen 3
• Issue Four Hundred Thirty 3
• Issue Four Hundred Thirty Eight 3
• Issue Four Hundred Thirty Five 4
• Issue Four Hundred Thirty Four 3
• Issue Four Hundred Thirty Nine 4
• Issue Four Hundred Thirty One 4
• Issue Four Hundred Thirty Seven 4
• Issue Four Hundred Thirty Six 4
• Issue Four Hundred Thirty Three 3
• Issue Four Hundred Thirty Two 3
• Issue Four Hundred Three 4
• Issue Four Hundred Twelve 3
• Issue Four Hundred Twenty 3
• Issue Four Hundred Twenty Eight 3
• Issue Four Hundred Twenty Five 3
• Issue Four Hundred Twenty Four 4
• Issue Four Hundred Twenty Nine 3
• Issue Four Hundred Twenty One 3
• Issue Four Hundred Twenty Seven 4
• Issue Four Hundred Twenty Six 3
• Issue Four Hundred Twenty Three 4
• Issue Four Hundred Twenty Two 4
• Issue Four Hundred Two 3
• Issue Fourteen 4
• Issue Nine 5
• Issue Nineteen 4
• Issue Ninety 5
• Issue Ninety-Eight 3
• Issue Ninety-Five 4
• Issue Ninety-Four 4
• Issue Ninety-Nine 3
• Issue Ninety-one 6
• Issue Ninety-Seven 2
• Issue Ninety-Six 3
• Issue Ninety-Three 5
• Issue Ninety-Two 4
• Issue Nintey-Three 1
• Issue One 5
• Issue One Hundred 4
• Issue One Hundred Eight 3
• Issue One Hundred Eighteen 3
• Issue One Hundred Eighty 3
• Issue One Hundred Eighty Eight 3
• Issue One Hundred Eighty Five 3
• Issue One Hundred Eighty Four 3
• Issue One Hundred Eighty Nine 3
• Issue One Hundred Eighty One 4
• Issue One Hundred Eighty Seven 3
• Issue One Hundred Eighty Six 3
• Issue One Hundred Eighty Three 3
• Issue One Hundred Eighty Two 3
• Issue One Hundred Eleven 3
• Issue One Hundred Fifteen 4
• Issue One Hundred Fifty 3
• Issue One Hundred Fifty Eight 3
• Issue One Hundred Fifty Five 2
• Issue One Hundred Fifty Four 3
• Issue One Hundred Fifty Nine 4
• Issue One Hundred Fifty One 2
• Issue One Hundred Fifty Seven 3
• Issue One Hundred Fifty Six 4
• Issue One Hundred Fifty Three 2
• Issue One Hundred Fifty Two 6
• Issue One Hundred Five 3
• Issue One Hundred Forty 3
• Issue One Hundred Forty Eight 4
• Issue One Hundred Forty Five 4
• Issue One Hundred Forty Four 2
• Issue One Hundred Forty Nine 4
• Issue One Hundred Forty One 3
• Issue One Hundred Forty Seven 3
• Issue One Hundred Forty Six 4
• Issue One Hundred Forty Three 4
• Issue One Hundred Forty Two 3
• Issue One Hundred Four 4
• Issue One Hundred Fourteen 4
• Issue One Hundred Nine 3
• Issue One Hundred Nineteen 5
• Issue One Hundred Ninety 3
• Issue One Hundred Ninety Eight 3
• Issue One Hundred Ninety Five 4
• Issue One Hundred Ninety Four 3
• Issue One Hundred Ninety Nine 4
• issue One Hundred Ninety One 3
• Issue One Hundred Ninety Seven 2
• Issue One Hundred Ninety Six 3
• Issue One Hundred Ninety Three 3
• Issue One Hundred Ninety Two 3
• Issue One Hundred One 3
• Issue One Hundred Seven 3
• Issue One Hundred Seventeen 3
• Issue One Hundred Seventy 4
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Eight 3
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Five 3
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Four 3
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Nine 3
• Issue One Hundred Seventy One 4
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Seven 2
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Six 3
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Three 3
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Two 2
• Issue One Hundred Six 3
• Issue One Hundred Sixteen 4
• Issue One Hundred Sixty 4
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Eight 4
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Five 3
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Four 3
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Nine 3
• Issue One Hundred Sixty One 4
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Seven 3
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Six 2
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Three 4
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Two 4
• Issue One Hundred Ten 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirteen 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirty 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Eight 3
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Five 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Four 7
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Nine 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirty One 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Seven 3
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Six 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Three 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Two 5
• Issue One Hundred Three 3
• Issue One Hundred Twelve 2
• Issue One Hundred Twenty 4
• Issue One Hundred Twenty Eight 4
• Issue One Hundred Twenty Five 3
• Issue One Hundred Twenty Four 4
• Issue One Hundred Twenty Nine 4
• Issue One Hundred Twenty One 4
• Issue One Hundred Twenty Seven 4
• Issue One Hundred Twenty Six 4
• Issue One Hundred Twenty Three 5
• Issue One Hundred Twenty Two 3
• Issue One Hundred Two 3
• Issue Seven 4
• Issue Seventeen 5
• Issue Seventy 5
• Issue Seventy-Eight 6
• Issue Seventy-Five 7
• Issue Seventy-Four 6
• Issue Seventy-Nine 6
• Issue Seventy-One 6
• Issue Seventy-Seven 6
• Issue Seventy-Six 6
• Issue Seventy-Three 5
• Issue Seventy-Two 6
• Issue Six 4
• Issue Six Hundred Thirty Four 1
• Issue Sixteen 5
• Issue Sixty 7
• Issue Sixty Eight 6
• Issue Sixty Five 5
• Issue Sixty Four 5
• Issue Sixty Nine 6
• Issue Sixty One 5
• Issue Sixty Seven 6
• Issue Sixty Six 6
• Issue Sixty Three 5
• Issue Sixty Two 6
• Issue Ten 5
• Issue Thirteen 5
• Issue Thirty 7
• Issue Thirty Eight 4
• Issue Thirty Five 3
• Issue Thirty Four 6
• Issue Thirty Nine 5
• Issue Thirty One 5
• Issue Thirty Seven 5
• Issue Thirty Six 4
• Issue Thirty Three 7
• Issue Thirty Two 5
• Issue Thirty Two 1
• Issue Three 5
• Issue Three Hundred 3
• Issue Three Hundred and Eighty 4
• Issue Three Hundred and Sixty Five 2
• Issue Three Hundred Eight 4
• Issue Three Hundred Eighteen 3
• Issue Three Hundred Eighty Eight 4
• Issue Three Hundred Eighty Five 4
• Issue Three Hundred Eighty Four 4
• Issue Three Hundred Eighty Nine 4
• Issue Three Hundred Eighty One 4
• Issue Three Hundred Eighty Seven 4
• Issue Three Hundred Eighty Six 3
• Issue Three Hundred Eighty Three 4
• Issue Three Hundred Eighty Two 3
• Issue Three Hundred Eleven 3
• Issue Three Hundred Fifteen 4
• Issue Three Hundred Fifty 4
• Issue Three Hundred Fifty Eight 4
• Issue Three Hundred Fifty Five 3
• Issue Three Hundred Fifty Four 4
• Issue Three Hundred Fifty Nine 3
• Issue Three Hundred Fifty One 3
• Issue Three Hundred Fifty Seven 3
• Issue Three Hundred Fifty Six 3
• Issue Three Hundred Fifty Three 3
• Issue Three Hundred Fifty Two 3
• Issue Three Hundred Five 3
• Issue Three Hundred Forty 3
• Issue Three Hundred Forty Eight 3
• Issue Three Hundred Forty Five 3
• Issue Three Hundred Forty Four 3
• Issue Three Hundred Forty Nine 3
• Issue Three Hundred Forty One 4
• Issue Three Hundred Forty Seven 3
• Issue Three Hundred Forty Six 3
• Issue Three Hundred Forty Three 3
• Issue Three Hundred Forty Two 3
• Issue Three Hundred Four 3
• Issue Three Hundred Fourteen 3
• Issue Three Hundred Nine 3
• Issue Three Hundred Nineteen 4
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety 3
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Eight 3
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Five 3
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Four 3
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Nine 3
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety One 3
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Seven 4
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Six 4
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Three 4
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Two 5
• Issue Three Hundred One 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seven 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventeen 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Eight 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Five 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Four 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Nine 4
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy One 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Seven 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Six 4
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Three 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Two 3
• Issue Three Hundred Six 4
• Issue Three Hundred Sixteen 3
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty 3
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Eight 3
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Four 4
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Nine 3
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty One 4
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Seven 5
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Six 5
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Three 4
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Two 3
• Issue Three Hundred Ten 3
• Issue Three Hundred Thirteen 3
• Issue Three Hundred Thirty 2
• Issue Three Hundred Thirty Eight 4
• Issue Three Hundred Thirty Five 2
• Issue Three Hundred Thirty Four 3
• Issue Three Hundred Thirty Nine 3
• Issue Three Hundred Thirty One 2
• Issue Three Hundred Thirty Seven 4
• Issue Three Hundred Thirty Six 3
• Issue Three Hundred Thirty Three 3
• Issue Three Hundred Thirty Two 3
• Issue Three Hundred Three 3
• Issue Three Hundred Twelve 3
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty 3
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty Eight 4
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty Five 3
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty Four 4
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty Nine 4
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty One 3
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty Seven 3
• Issue three hundred twenty six 2
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty Three 4
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty Two 3
• Issue Three Hundred Two 4
• Issue Thrity Five 1
• Issue Twelve 4
• Issue Twenty 5
• Issue Twenty Eight 5
• Issue Twenty Five 4
• Issue Twenty Four 4
• Issue Twenty Nine 4
• Issue Twenty One 5
• Issue Twenty Seven 3
• Issue Twenty Six 4
• Issue Twenty Three 4
• Issue Twenty Two 5
• Issue Two 4
• Issue Two Hundred 4
• Issue Two Hundred Eight 3
• Issue Two Hundred Eighteen 1
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty 2
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty Eight 3
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty Five 3
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty Four 3
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty Nine 2
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty One 4
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty Seven 3
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty Six 4
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty Three 2
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty Two 3
• Issue Two Hundred Eleven 3
• Issue Two Hundred Fifteen 3
• Issue Two Hundred Fifty 3
• Issue Two Hundred Fifty Eight 3
• Issue Two Hundred Fifty Five 3
• Issue Two Hundred Fifty Four 3
• Issue Two Hundred Fifty Nine 2
• Issue Two Hundred Fifty One 3
• Issue Two Hundred Fifty Seven 2
• Issue Two Hundred Fifty Six 3
• Issue Two Hundred Fifty Three 1
• Issue Two Hundred Fifty Two 3
• Issue Two Hundred Five 3
• Issue Two Hundred Forty 3
• Issue Two Hundred Forty Eight 3
• Issue Two Hundred Forty Five 2
• Issue Two Hundred Forty Four 3
• Issue Two Hundred Forty Nine 3
• Issue Two Hundred Forty One 3
• Issue Two Hundred Forty Seven 3
• Issue Two Hundred Forty Six 2
• Issue Two Hundred Forty Three 1
• Issue Two Hundred Forty Two 2
• Issue Two Hundred Four 2
• Issue Two Hundred Fourteen 3
• Issue Two Hundred Nine 3
• Issue Two Hundred Nineteen 3
• Issue Two Hundred Ninety 3
• Issue Two Hundred Ninety Eight 4
• Issue Two Hundred Ninety Five 2
• Issue Two Hundred Ninety Four 3
• Issue Two Hundred Ninety Nine 3
• Issue Two Hundred Ninety One 4
• Issue Two Hundred Ninety Seven 4
• Issue Two Hundred Ninety Six 3
• Issue Two Hundred Ninety Three 4
• Issue Two Hundred Ninety Two 3
• Issue Two Hundred One 3
• Issue Two Hundred Seven 3
• Issue Two Hundred Seventeen 3
• Issue Two Hundred Seventy 3
• Issue Two Hundred Seventy Eight 3
• Issue Two Hundred Seventy Five 3
• Issue Two Hundred Seventy Four 3
• Issue Two Hundred Seventy Nine 3
• Issue Two Hundred Seventy One 2
• Issue Two Hundred Seventy Seven 3
• Issue Two Hundred Seventy Six 3
• Issue Two Hundred Seventy Three 3
• Issue Two Hundred Seventy Two 3
• Issue Two Hundred Six 3
• Issue Two Hundred Sixteen 3
• Issue Two Hundred Sixty 3
• Issue Two Hundred Sixty Eight 3
• Issue Two Hundred Sixty Five 4
• Issue Two Hundred Sixty Four 3
• Issue Two Hundred Sixty Nine 3
• Issue Two Hundred Sixty One 3
• Issue Two Hundred Sixty Seven 3
• Issue Two Hundred Sixty Six 3
• Issue Two Hundred Sixty Three 6
• Issue Two Hundred Sixty Two 3
• Issue Two Hundred Ten 2
• Issue Two Hundred Thirteen 4
• Issue Two Hundred Thirty 4
• Issue Two Hundred Thirty Eight 4
• Issue Two Hundred Thirty Five 4
• Issue Two Hundred Thirty Four 3
• Issue Two Hundred Thirty Nine 2
• Issue Two Hundred Thirty One 2
• Issue Two Hundred Thirty Seven 2
• Issue Two Hundred Thirty Six 4
• Issue Two Hundred Thirty Three 3
• Issue Two Hundred Thirty Two 3
• Issue Two Hundred Three 3
• Issue Two Hundred Twelve 3
• Issue Two Hundred Twenty 3
• Issue Two Hundred Twenty Eight 4
• Issue Two Hundred Twenty Five 3
• Issue Two Hundred Twenty Four 4
• Issue Two Hundred Twenty Nine 3
• Issue Two Hundred Twenty One 4
• Issue Two Hundred Twenty Seven 2
• Issue Two Hundred Twenty Six 4
• Issue Two Hundred Twenty Three 2
• Issue Two Hundred Twenty Two 3
• Issue Two Hundred Two 3
• No Fee Contest 1
• One Hundred Forty Seven 1
• Letter from the Editor 9
• Always open to submissions 42
• Anthology 4
• Chapbooks 2
• Creative Non Fiction 273
• Electronic 5
• Fiction 397
• Paying Market 50
• Translation 3
• Academic 17
• Accept Previously Published Work 1
• All Genres 29
• Chick Lit 5
• Children's Books 114
• Christian 29
• Cookbooks 16
• Gift Books 17
• Graphic Novel 6
• Historical Fiction 20
• Literary Fiction 66
• New Adult 5
• Non Fiction 187
• Offers Advances 8
• Paranormal 16
• Science Fiction 63
• Self Help 9
• Southern Fiction 2
• Speculative Fiction 8
• Women's Fiction 17
• Young Adult 81
• Issue Four 1
• Issue Six 1
• Issue Three 1
• Issue Two 1
• Publishing Guides 76
• Publishing Industry News 1
• Quote of the Week 78
• Self Publishing 22
• Issue One Hundred Ninety One 1
• Special Issue 371
• Success Stories 6
• The Authors Publish Fund for Literary Journals 1
• The Other Side of the Desk 8
• Uncategorized 110
• Writing Prompt 85

About Us: We're dedicated to helping authors build their writing careers. We send you reviews of publishers accepting submissions, and articles to help you become a successful, published, author. Everything is free and delivered via email. You can view our privacy policy here. To get started sign up for our free email newsletter .

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

EveryWriter

A New Community of Writers

Top 50 Literary Magazines -Every Writer

January 12, 2023 by Richard 76 Comments

Welcome to our list of the top 50 literary magazines. Our criteria for this list have changed. We considered a wide range of standards for this list. We looked at close to 20 data points. The most important criteria we used this time were:

• The date of founding.
• The number of national anthologies publications (and we looked at many of them).
• The quality of work and names of past authors published in the magazine.

We have a database listing 1000s of magazines:   Find a complete list of literary magazines here.

We were the first site on the web to develop a list of the top 50 literary magazines. Many news outlets and websites have copied this list. Our methods are systematic in compiling numbers for placement on the list. This list aims to help writers find a place to publish their writing that will get them recognition. When a magazine is published over a long period and is recognized nationally, it gives authors more opportunities for exposure. Also, these magazines have a very good name in literary circles. Many will not agree and feel we’ve left a good or great publication off the list. That’s okay. The best thing to do is leave a comment below.

This list of top 50 literary magazines culminates in 20 years of hard work. I first thought about this list when I got my BFA in Creative Writing. In the early days of the internet, people in the BFA and MFA programs would talk about good and bad literary magazines. It took a lot of work to find online publications. Only some reputable magazines took online submissions. At that time, I started collecting a list of magazines. It was the Big List, and it started this site. Then I put this list together. I started looking for the best literary magazines, and then later, I realized I could turn different indicators into a point system, and so on. Later as EWR grew, others helped to compile this list. These magazines are very special to us; we purposefully constructed this list. It’s one of the reasons it takes so long to update.

We have also included interviews with some of the editors of these magazines. It was an honor to interview them, and we recommend you read those interviews. The editors tell you what they are looking to publish in their magazines. The best practice and best way to get your work published in these Top 50 literary magazines are by reading them. Understand what they want before you submit your manuscript. Having a thriving scholarly community is about supporting each other, not just supporting your work by publishing with them. Now here is our list of the top 50 literary magazines.

Top 50 Literary Magazines – Every Writer

1  new yorker .

Since 1925 this magazine has published some of the best writers in the country. They consistently publish outstanding work. Please support them. They have over a million readers.

2  Ploughshares

Founded in 1971, Ploughshares is our best and highest-ranked university non-commercial literary magazine. It is more honored by national anthologies than any other magazine except the New Yorker. It is an outstanding publication. We had the honor a little while back of  interviewing Editor Ladette Randolph . Ploughshares is excellent and exceptional. Please support them.

3  Paris Review

The Paris Review started in 1953 and is one of the best-known literary magazines in the world. It is constantly publishing great authors and great works.

4  New England Review

It started in 1978 and is one of the country’s best-known and best-loved literary magazines. It is outstanding.

An outstanding literary magazine that has been publishing since 1889. They are honored with awards often.

6  Harper’s Magazine

Founded in 1850 and has always been honored. It is an outstanding commercial literary magazine with a circulation of 220,000 readers.

7  Kenyon Review

Since 1939 the Kenyon Review has been one of the best literary magazines in the country. You can always find great writers on its pages. It started in 1939. We recently interviewed the great  Poet David Baker , one of the editors of the Kenyon Review. The magazine is one of the best out there, always.

8  Georgia Review

It started in 1947 and has won many awards. It is a significant literary magazine that publishes great authors and great works.

9  Southern Review

Originally started in 1935, Southern Review has contributed to great literature for over 50 years. A publication of the Louisiana State University and a great literary magazine.

10  Virginia Quarterly Review

One of the very best journals out there. This journal is often honored and published by The University of Virginia since 1925.

11  Threepenny Review

Founded in 1980 and is one of the best literary magazines out there. It’s always in national anthologies and winning awards. We had the honor of interviewing the Threepenny Review editor Wendy Lesser a little while ago; please  check out the interview .

12  American Short Fiction

Founded in 1991, the magazine is always a leading source of well-honored fiction. The magazine takes online submissions. Buy the magazine, read the magazine, and support it.

13  Yale Review

For 100 years, this literary magazine has published great works by great authors. It’s always worth a read and a submission.

14  Southwest Review

This literary magazine can trace its roots back to 1915. Published by Southern Methodist University, the magazine is consistently publishing great work.

15 Green Mountain Review

Green Mountain Review, or GMR, was founded in 1987; they consistently win awards and publish famous names in the literary world. Northern Vermont University publishes them. 

16  Iowa Review

Founded in 1970, this literary magazine publishes excellent work again and again.

17 Painted Bride Quarterly 

Published in 1973 in Philadelphia, PBQ puts forth amazing authors in poetry and fiction. 

18  American Poetry Review

This literary magazine only published poetry and was founded in 1976. It is one of the top 2 poetry magazines in the country.

Poetry is the best poetry magazine in the country, hands down. They were founded in 1912 and consistently published great poets. 

20  Zoetrope All-Story

Founded by Francis Ford Coppola in 1997, the literary magazine consistently publishes outstanding works of fiction.

21  One Story

Launched in 2002 and immediately began getting recognition for its high-quality stories. They publish fiction only.

22  Zyzzyva

First published in 1985 and has published wonderful stories every year it has been in circulation. They are consistently honored.

Boston University has published them since 1972. This literary journal is continuously publishing great work.

24  Antioch Review

Since 1941, The Antioch Review has published great authors and excellent writing. We love the Antioch review. 

25  Michigan Quarterly Review

MQR began publishing in 1962; they are continuously publishing outstanding work. The University of Michigan publishes them.

26  Gettysburg Review

The Gettysburg Review, founded in 1988, publishes fiction, essays, and poetry. They publish quarterly and have won numerous awards and honors. 

27  Prairie Schooner

This literary magazine has been published since 1927 and is among the best. 

28  Cincinnati Review

Starting in 2003, this literary magazine has published many outstanding authors and outstanding works.   

29  Colorado Review

In 1956 Colorado State University established the Colorado Review. They consistently publish good work from authors.

30  Boulevard

The literary magazine has been publishing great work since 1985. It’s one of the best.

31  Harvard Review

The Harvard Review started in 1986, publishes top writers in the country, and has won many awards and honors. 

32  Subtropics

This literary magazine has only been published for six years but has been honored so many times it made our list.

33  Shenandoah 

This literary magazine began publishing in 1949 and is one of the best.

34  Five Points

Five Points is published by Georgia State University and is in our top 10 of these 50 for always being in national anthologies and winning awards. Founded in 1996 still less than 20 years old, but a great literary magazine.

35  Conjunctions

An outstanding literary magazine from Bard College, they do have online content.

Published by Cornell University since 1947 and always publishes great authors and excellent writing.

37  Hudson Review

Founded in 1947, this literary magazine publishes outstanding work and authors.

38  Triquarterly

Founded in 1958, Triquarterly has continuously published great work. The magazine is honored often by national anthologies.

39  Alaska Quarterly Review

Founded in 1980 and published at the University of Alaska of Anchorage. The magazine publishes excellent work.

40  The Missouri Review

Since 1978 this magazine has won many honors and has published great works by great authors. The Missouri Review is one of those old.

41  A Public Space

The site was founded in 2006 but has won many honors in the short time it has been published.

42  Chicago Review

Founded in 1946 this literary magazine is consistently publishing great works.

43  Black Warrior Review

This literary magazine was founded in 1947 and has continuously published great authors. The Black Warrior Review is consistently publishing outstanding works by notable authors. We are big fans of this unique and long-standing magazine.

44  Witness

First published in 1987 the literary magazine has come on strong lately with many honors.

45  Barrow Street

The literary magazine only accepts poetry and was founded in 1998—one of the best.

46  New Ohio Review

Starting in 2006, this Ohio University Magazine has consistently published outstanding work from the day it opened. They have an excellent site on the web and online submissions.

47  Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse was established in 1960. The magazine is consistently publishing excellent writing by fantastic authors. We highly recommend you pick up a copy. 

48 Hanging Loose

Hanging Loose first appeared in 1966. They have won many awards, and their authors appear regularly in national anthologies. 

49  Narrative 

Since 2003 they have published fiction and poetry by great authors. We had them listed as the best online literary magazine, and they do have an excellent website, but they now publish in the real world, so we’ve moved them. This magazine is certainly worth reading and paying attention to.

50  Ecotone

The University of North Carolina-Wilmington established Ecotone in 2005. They consistently publish good work.

How did we come up with this top 50 literary magazines list? It’s challenging! Some other lists on the web tally the most appearance in Best American Short Stories or other anthologies. The literary magazine gets points for the years it has been publishing. Then we tally the appearances of these literary magazines in several national anthologies. We then give points for specific awards like Pushcart. We turn all these into a point system and then rank the magazines. So it would be like this, the top 50 magazines in order are based on age + awards + anthology appearances =best. This list was number one for literary magazines for the last ten years. It’s a detailed process. We hope this list of Top 50 literary magazines is helpful.

Related Posts:

About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.  

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry.   Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

Reader Interactions

Real Writer says

March 24, 2017 at 9:13 am

Any idea why The Atlantic fell off the list? The last time I checked (maybe a couple of years ago), it was #3. That seems like a pretty precipitous drop, unless you excluded it for some reason.

Adela Brito says

June 22, 2023 at 9:31 am

I think they stopped publishing fiction, and do more news oriented essay type pieces.

Jersey Pinoy says

April 4, 2017 at 4:49 pm

ZYZZYVA also publishes poetry.

Every Writer says

April 6, 2017 at 8:31 am

Thank you Jersey!

Mike Pulley says

June 10, 2017 at 1:14 pm

Good list! However, I’ve got one correction for you. I clicked on the link above for Ecotone, and it took me to the magazine’s website. I clicked on its “About” page and it says that it was launched in 2005 by the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, not University of South Carolina, as you state above. I’m at Clemson and have connections to University of South Carolina. Its literary publication is called Yemassee. Hope that helps!

August 4, 2017 at 12:15 pm

We are working on updates. Sorry about the errors. Our site is about 10,000 pages, so sometimes it’s hard to make all the changes we want to make. If you see errors point them out. Mike, I’ve made the changes you pointed to. Thank you so much, and yes, it does help.

Rachel says

August 8, 2017 at 2:21 pm

Thank you for all your work! I’m chiming in to say that Michigan Quarterly Review now accepts online submissions via Submittable.

August 8, 2017 at 2:56 pm

Your comment popped up in my board, but it was so difficult to find where you left this. These new reply buttons. I made the changes…thank you for the note.

Cincinnati Review says

August 7, 2017 at 9:10 am

Hello there from Cincinnati Review! We do have online submissions now–in fact, we accept only online submissions. Thanks for the list!

August 7, 2017 at 12:41 pm

This is great to hear. I will make the update soon.

DeWitt Henry says

August 7, 2017 at 12:31 pm

Where are the online magazines? For my own tops list on the net, see my website or my monthly column of “literary booksmarks”

Please don’t just come by to plug your site. We have a large listing of literary magazines, print and online at on our literary magazines pages: https://www.everywritersresource.com/literarymagazines/ I’ve been listing them on this site since 1999.

April 5, 2022 at 10:23 am

With the exception of Granta, this list is so … Ameircan.

August 7, 2017 at 5:12 pm

Disappointing to see a list like this base so heavily on biased anthology presence. The next article should be about how basing a list of “best” on metrics that are skewed towards cis-hetero white men is flawed. Also, as someone else said, where are the online literary journals that are doing the work right now? Meh, won’t be bookmarking this.

Teny C. Williams says

June 23, 2018 at 2:33 pm

I’m not sure what journals you are referring to as skewed to cis-hetero white men. The three I subscribe to (university journals), and others I grab off the stands, are heavily weighted to feminist and LGBT points of view, with a fair bit of Social Justice War-making.

William Humphrey says

August 7, 2017 at 11:44 pm

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but shouldn’t the 6th to the last word of the introductory paragraph be “past”? Or are you referring to necrotic authors?

August 8, 2017 at 12:18 am

You are of course correct, what really needs to be done is the entire thing needs to be rewritten. I’m sorry for all the mistakes. It was botched long ago. The rewrites coming.

August 8, 2017 at 12:20 am

You should think about writing for our contest. https://www.everywritersresource.com/every-writer-halloween-50-word-scary-story-contest/ It’ll make you feel better about all the things that have gone wrong in the world.

Stephanie G'Schwind says

August 8, 2017 at 11:13 am

Just to clarify: Colorado Review does in fact take online submissions.

August 8, 2017 at 11:52 am

I’ve made the changes. Thanks for the note.

August 8, 2017 at 11:53 am

A note to editors, the best way to update the information above, and to get a listing on our site for free, is to go here: https://www.everywritersresource.com/literarymagazines/submit-your-site/ and fill out the form and submit it. We will update your listing, and this page….

Former Narrative Staff says

August 8, 2017 at 12:44 pm

Not only does Narrative charge an outrageous fee, but they have options for readers (internally, of course) to flag submissions either by “Noteworthy Authors” or those who have contributed $X to the journal. Narrative is an outright racket.

G. D. McFetridge says

May 8, 2022 at 8:58 am

And furthermore, Tom Jenks is a hustling little weasel who lurks in the back pages of writers magazines advertising his marginal editing skills, for which he charges substantial fees under innuendoes of how good he thought the work was, after his initial review and before receiving his fee, of course, and then he essentially razes the very work he previously praised; although because he is a hustler, he chooses his words carefully during the setup phase.

August 8, 2017 at 1:39 pm

How do you expect a literary magazine to continue in existence charging $1 to $3 for a submission? Assuming a magazine gets 2,000 submissions at even $3 per, that’s $6,000. Printing costs alone can exceed that total. An independent magazine with no university backing would find it difficult to survive.

August 8, 2017 at 2:33 pm

There is a lot of debate about literary magazines charging to read….but it is so difficult to make money publishing that it should certainly be understood why. Think of it this way, when you submitted your work did you also subscribe to the magazine? Have you ever bought a copy of the magazine you are submitting to? It cannot be one sided.

Sydney Lea says

November 20, 2021 at 1:43 pm

I started NEW ENGLAND REVIEW in 1978. At that time, we had no college/university backing, and I was spending as much time chasing funding as I was editing. Even back then, the volume of submissions was nigh overwhelming, as I was often essentially the sole reader in all genres. I decided it might be helpful to charge a buck to submit, and you would have thought I’d asked potential contributors (who FAR outnumbered subscribers) for their firstborn children. The hue and cry was so calamitous I had to change the policy. It therefore astounds me –though it does not in the least chagrin me; I pay willingly– that magazines WITHOUT reading fees are the very rare exception.

August 8, 2017 at 2:50 pm

Well, we looked at the quality of writing in these magazines, not at their practices. Narrative doesn’t make anyone submit work to them. Writers find a value in it, or they wouldn’t do it. I too worked for a university magazine, and I never made a dime. We have to ask ourselves at some point what is the value of the work we do? Is the end goal only publishing a novel with a big publisher and riding off into the sunset? That prospect is sinking quickly. Making money on ads has become increasingly difficult. So how do you pay your fiction editor? Should literary magazines always be a profitless venture where no one sees value, and it’s just a few selfless souls who produce them? I’m just asking, what is your model to profit from these? Should these editors always work for free? Should it always be a university venture for the sake of art? Do you have a suggestion on how a magazine can make profit? Even major magazines and newspapers are disappearing.

August 9, 2017 at 7:57 am

I don’t know, but if they give their fiction editor $20 per submissions, wouldn’t that be nice? On EWR we get 100s of submissions, and many are outright spammed. I get submissions that are just forwarded from other magazines. No cover letters, nothing. You have to think of the value, and submitting your work has a value. If they made it a rule to subscribe to their magazine before you submit, would that be ok? I don’t know, but the model for literary magazines has been around for a very long time. One of my first rejection letters was from the late great Lois Rosenthal of Story magazine. It was hand written and worth much more to me than $20.

August 9, 2017 at 8:04 am

I’ve removed a couple nasty comments here. One was from a website owner who has 14,000 backlinks and 53 organic traffic. It kinda tells you what he does with his time. It’s bad form to spam the site while insulting me.

Ken W Simpson says

November 2, 2020 at 9:35 pm

R. T. Smith says

August 10, 2017 at 9:58 am

ALthough I appreciate your ranking of SHENANDOAH, I think you should know that the journal has been on line (shenandoahliterary.org) for about 7 years. To assess it’s current quality, someone needs to look at recent issues. In fact, we now ONLY consider mss. sent through our Submittable portal. Thanks R T Smith Editor, SHENANDOAH

August 10, 2017 at 2:29 pm

Yes, we’ve had you on the list for over 10 years, back when your url was http://shenandoah.wlu.edu/. I am a fan of the magazine. As a side note I’ve read your work since Brightwood. We’d be honored to do an interview….see some other interviews here: https://www.everywritersresource.com/interviews/

February 19, 2018 at 5:02 pm

Ecotone was of time.

bart plantenga says

June 26, 2018 at 3:05 am

nice standard list – the only detail missing is that many of these magazines charge submission fees. This is like a regressive tax. Writers already earn nothing but are now forced to go negative. The main culprit is their use of submittable I guess. it is being addressed above. it reminds me of the 1990s nyc bar/cafe scene of pay to play for bands and writers.

Rob Klein says

July 24, 2018 at 12:17 pm

Alaska Quarterly Review but not Salmagundi? Are you sure?

Melanie L Griffin says

October 24, 2018 at 2:40 pm

Thanks for this list. Two thoughts: first, the repeated use of “great work” or “outstanding work” or “one of the best” isn’t useful because we assume that’s your opinion since these mags are on the list! Instead maybe you could add a few words about the type of work they publish (not just genre), even simply taken from their websites. Secondly, it would be super helpful if you could note whether or not they are a paying market. Don’t have to research how much, just something beyond contributor copies. More and more, publications don’t even bother to say that on their websites! They just assume you will be honored to write for them for free. Thanks again for the work you put into this!

Valentine says

October 30, 2018 at 7:54 am

Well, I would actually say, that it’s a great job anyway. Subjective opinion doesn’t make it to be less impressive. I find this list very helpful.

Satya Pattanaik says

January 16, 2019 at 6:55 am

Anyone can help me giving a list of the magazines who accept translation work from other languages from around the world? Thanks

Tiny Tanaka says

February 13, 2019 at 5:59 pm

Hello! I’m also a small and young poetry writer and I’ve found some success on Instagram with tagging relevant common words that seem to have lots of search results. I also submit to different online small-time literary magazines. There are numerous out there that have small followings, which can easily get your work published on multiple sites, your name out in more public searches, and can get you that first step into the business of writing. I know that your comment was posted a while ago, but if you’ve learned anything new, or see anything that you can now start doing yourself, then best of luck to you! I hope that maybe one day we can connect and I can see how far you’ve come! If you ever need anything, my user name on insta is tinytanaka.poetry and my e-mail is [email protected]. I hope you’re doing okay!

Krishnamurthy N says

February 18, 2019 at 9:52 am

The literary magazines, ilike have not made the grade! Litrery Review (LR), New York Times Book Review, London Review of Books (LRB), Times Literary Supplement (TLS)

February 18, 2019 at 9:57 am

We are looking at rewriting this list. It is based on numbers, many factors. The first time we did this list, it was over 10 years go. If you want a complete list of literary magazines, you can go to our literary magazines site (searchable) https://www.everywritersresource.com/literarymagazines/

Cynthia says

March 17, 2019 at 12:41 am

It’s absolutely bananas of you not to include The Sun Magazine in your list. By your own stated criteria, it’s top of the heap. It was founded in 1974, recommends the most Pushcart prize winners of any literary magazine, and publishes consistently high-quality stuff.

Why did you overlook this gem???

March 21, 2019 at 4:32 pm

I’m looking to see why The Sun was removed from the list. I believe, at the time of writing the list that The Sun was ONLY taking solicited submissions, but I honestly cannot remember. We will be redoing this list soon.

July 17, 2019 at 12:55 pm

Why isn’t Rattle listed? They boast a circulation of nearly 10,000, and close to half a million page views per month. https://www.rattle.com/info/about-us/

Tony B says

November 27, 2020 at 11:25 pm

Thank you. Great, thoughtful work in creating this list and posting it here online. Please continue your work. I look forward to the update as, for example, some publications accept online publications. Thank you for the support of the work of writers everywhere especially at this time. Long live the written word of stories and the supportive readers of such words. Thanks.

March 19, 2021 at 1:40 am

I don’t agree. The list may be okay for non contributors – but for poets such as me – there are virtually no opportunities. There are publishers listed that are supposed to accept submissions – but don’t. The utter arrogance of some publishers is evident here. They don’t give a damn about contributors. Of course this sort of thing happens in other lists – in poets and writers for example.

March 30, 2021 at 12:43 am

I only see things from the point of view of the a poetry and occasional prose submitter. Writers are the backbone of any literary journal – yet all – except for a few at the very top – either don’t get paid or get paid very little for the years spent honing their skills – for little or no purpose other than as a vocation. It’s a part time occupation at best – and for most a humiliating experience. Perhaps if publishers published more and better books – rather than the rubbish they publish that sells – such as horror – science fiction – craft – gardening and cooking books – the industry would be better off. Sex sells and so does stupidity. All you need to do is drop by any of the very few places that sell books – apart from Amazon – and you will see lots of books – but very little literature.

Sinclaire says

October 23, 2021 at 10:19 pm

Started in 1998 but quickly became one of the best and best known literary magazines in the country. It has been honored by national anthologies more times than many literary magazine that have been publishing for over 100 years.

December 4, 2021 at 3:32 pm

No mention of The Sun on your list? Clifford Garstang ranks it as the #1lit mag for non-fiction.

ROSY DIXON says

September 2, 2022 at 9:33 am

How could you not include TLS – the Times (UK) Literary Supplement? Founded in 1902, it’s long been considered the world’s best literary magazine!

fnf mods says

November 1, 2022 at 6:53 pm

Many thanks for the work you’ve done in the past and continue to do on this essential list. I am excited to put this into use.

backrooms says

April 2, 2023 at 8:21 pm

No longer accepting submissions for tales

May 31, 2023 at 4:21 pm

As of 7:20 ET on Wednesday, 5/31/23, each item on your list has a blank space next to the numeral for the ranking. The blurbs are visible, but the names of the lit mags are not. This is true on both Chrome and Edge.

champions league groups says

November 17, 2023 at 9:33 am

Great you seeo you here mate!

Tiny Fishing says

December 7, 2023 at 8:27 pm

smart bazaar says

December 13, 2023 at 2:43 am

thank you for share an informative blog for us.

Eric Jacob says

December 26, 2023 at 9:21 pm

Thanks for sharing different magazines and It’s really useful for me.

Worldapkx says

January 13, 2024 at 9:49 am

Terraria is adventure of different and survival offline action game. You have to play this game and fight to bring the world to your fingertips. If you like it on PC or console, you should play Terraria game if you like it here. Play the game in the world of Terraria to find ever bigger enemies to test your skills in battle. You can play with up to 7 friends online.

January 13, 2024 at 9:50 am

Thank you for share an informative blog for us.

Kashmir Tour Packages says

January 18, 2024 at 4:50 am

Each author has organized a literary feast with these magazines. An essential bookmark for writers looking for recognition.

Apkeon says

January 20, 2024 at 8:32 am

Apkeon is a growing website for gamers who wants to play Moded games. Do you like games? just go to the website and you will be wowed…

January 27, 2024 at 1:51 am

informative blog article thank you for share an article with us.

apkprobuzz says

January 31, 2024 at 4:06 am

io games says

February 5, 2024 at 11:32 pm

I just wanted to let you know that I just looked at your website and found it to be very interesting and helpful

akıllı çocuk saatleri says

February 18, 2024 at 7:07 am

Çocuk akıllı saati aramasıyla ilgili 21 adet ürün bulundu. Akıllı Çocuk Saati ve saatleri – Görüntülü Görüşme Özellikli – Pembe ·

Apk Exit says

February 23, 2024 at 6:36 am

Download the latest games & apps for Android device

Apk All File says

February 23, 2024 at 6:39 am

Very useful information shared in this article.

February 23, 2024 at 6:40 am

Very useful information shared in this article,

ApkModGift says

February 25, 2024 at 11:01 am

This is great information…Thanks all

modgamexx says

February 29, 2024 at 7:31 pm

very good aritical

signal ticket says

May 9, 2024 at 12:23 pm

Very nice arcticle , thank you for sharing. https://www.signalticket.ir

rizamjosh says

June 21, 2024 at 3:01 am

This post is unique and lovely, and it really helps us. Your post is awesome. I appreciate you giving this fantastic information. But also check our website https://adarshparkland.co/

iamnickjonson says

July 1, 2024 at 9:01 pm

This post is unique and lovely, and it really helps us. Your post is awesome. I appreciate you giving this fantastic information. But also check our website https://adarshlumina.gen.in/

Weather in kashmir in August says

July 12, 2024 at 2:36 am

Kashmir reveals its unmatched splendor in August, gaining the moniker “Paradise on Earth.” The towering Himalayas offer a stunning backdrop, while the region’s verdant valleys are festooned with brilliant vegetation and blossoming flowers. With temperatures between 15°C and 30°C, the weather is nice, making it the perfect time to explore the area’s unspoiled scenery. Glistening lakes such as Dal and Nigeen reflect the blue sky and add to the tranquil atmosphere. The sensory experience is enhanced by the soft scent of apple orchards and saffron fields wafting through the air. August is a memorable month for visitors visiting Kashmir because of the stunning scenery, vibrant culture, and kind people. https://cliffhangersindia.com/kashmir-in-august/

minecrift says

August 30, 2024 at 10:22 pm

ModGameTech – is the best website to provide high-quality Modded free games and apps for Android devices. https://modgametech.com

Sheikh Al Arabi says

September 4, 2024 at 12:45 am

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Privacy Overview

New Writing on Granta.com

Fiction | issue 168, private view, sophie collins.

‘Being recognised as part of a couple thrilled me; I felt legitimised. John had a life, a full life.’ Fiction by Sophie Collins.

Fiction | The Online Edition

Brad phillips.

‘People say it’s healthy for couples to fight, it means there’s still passion. I’ve always assumed that was bullshit, but now I’m not sure.’ Fiction by Brad Phillips.

Essays & Memoir | Issue 168

The messiah of cadoxton, susan pedersen.

‘The script of script production rather followed the script of sex: it was intimate, exciting, boundary-crossing, and left the participants changed.’ Susan Pedersen on paranormal love in the Balfour family.

In Conversation | The Online Edition

In conversation, helen garner & izabella scott.

‘I think what draws me in is the spectacle of the law trying to deal with something that nothing can deal with – just the wildness of people.’ Izabella Scott in conversation with Helen Garner.

Art & Photography | Issue 168

A woman i once knew, rosalind fox solomon & lynne tillman.

‘These are not gentle, passive female bodies. They are strong women who strike poses that show aggression.’ Lynne Tillman introduces Rosalind Fox Solomon’s self-portraits.

Granta 168: Significant Other

A Journey to Ayodhya

Snigdha poonam.

‘Ask anyone in Ayodhya, and they will say the city’s Hindu–Muslim harmony can withstand any test.’ Snigdha Poonam on the construction of a Hindu temple on the ruins of a mosque in Utter Pradesh.

Poetry | Issue 168

Lovers’ quarrel, tamara nassar.

‘Certainly we are not too old for that day / as dense as age on your bedroom floor.’ Poetry by Tamara Nassar.

Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann

Winner of the International Booker Prize 2024

Berlin. 11 July 1986. They meet by chance on a bus. She is a young student, he is older and married. Theirs is an intense and sudden attraction, fuelled by a shared passion for music and art, and heightened by the secrecy they must maintain.

From a prize-winning German writer, this is the intimate and devastating story of the path of two lovers through the ruins of a relationship, set against the backdrop of a seismic period in European history.

From the Archive

Essays & memoir | issue 14, impertinent daughters, doris lessing.

‘She loved examinations, came first in class, adored mathematics, and was expected for a time to become a professional pianist.’ Doris Lessing on class structures and her Victorian mother.

Essays & Memoir | Issue 131

Mary ruefle.

‘Nothing can prepare you for this.’ Mary Ruefle on menopause.

Fiction | Issue 47

The up escalator, bret easton ellis.

‘I'm standing on the balcony of Martin's apartment in Westwood, holding a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and Martin comes towards me, rushes at me, and with both hands pushes me off the balcony'. Fiction by Bret Easton Ellis.

Highlights From Granta Books

Sandra newman, £ 18.99, study for obedience, sarah bernstein, £ 9.99, justin torres, £ 14.99, the glutton, a. k. blakemore, the dimensions of a cave, greg jackson, an ordinary youth, walter kempowski, nature's calendar, kiera chapman,rowan jaines,lulah ellender,rebecca warren, every drop is a man's nightmare, megan kamalei kakimoto, £ 12.99, though the bodies fall, noel o'regan, birnam wood, eleanor catton, £ 20.00, sheena patel, £ 8.99, recommended reading, essays & memoir | the online edition, universal mother, momtaza mehri.

‘I turn to O’Connor’s music when I get tired of lying to myself. Her songs are allegorical free-falls. Spiritual chiaroscuros, even.’ Momtaza Mehri on Sinéad O’Connor.

In Conversation | Issue 166

A good first marriage is luck, sheila heti & phyllis rose.

‘Life is so difficult. It may take more than one creature to sustain one life.’ Sheila Heti in conversation with Phyllis Rose.

Poetry | Issue 162

Ecstatic joy and its variants, peter gizzi.

‘surely this is about water jetting from a spring, / a languid rafting with no particular destination’ Poetry by Peter Gizzi.

Fiction | Issue 111

Missing out, leila aboulela.

‘She had held the day up with pegs; not only her day but his too.’ Fiction by Leila Aboulela.

Subscribe to the Granta newsletters

News, prizes and events, when i sing, mountains dance and chilean poet shortlisted for oxford-weidenfeld translation prize.

When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Sola (trans. Mara Faye Lethem) and Chilean Poet by Alejandro Zambra (trans. Megan McDowell) are both shortlisted for the Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize.

Our Share of Night Shortlisted for The Kitschies

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez (trans. Megan McDowell) is shortlisted for The Kitschies Red Tentacle award, awarded to speculative, sci-fi and fantasy novels.

I’m A Fan Wins a British Book Award

I'm A Fan by Sheena Patel wins the Book of the Year: Discover Award at the British Book Awards.

• Rights and Permissions
• Job Opportunities and Internships
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Statement
• Cookie Policy

Granta magazine is run by the Granta Trust (charity number 1184638)

The copyright to all contents of this site is held either by Granta or by the individual authors, and none of the material may be used elsewhere without written permission. For reprint enquiries, contact us .

• 12 Addison Avenue
• London W11 4QR
• United Kingdom
• Tel +44(0)20 7605 1360

The login details that you entered were not correct.

Your subscription is no longer active please visit us here to subscribe., please enter the account details that you created whilst subscribing..

• Advertising
• Art & Culture
• Graphic Design
• Illustration
• Photography
• Product Design
• Inspiration
• Get Featured
• X (formerly Twitter)

20 independent magazines that every creative should have on their coffee table

As any creative professional will tell you, the more inspiration we can soak up, the better. But as we can't get out and see the world as much as we'd like, it's nice to have the world come to us. That's where printed magazines become so valuable, as they give us a wider perspective on global culture without having to leave our own doorstep.

Image licensed via Adobe Stock

Covering everything from art and design to travel and architecture – there are plenty of beautifully printed titles out there, just waiting to be purchased and treasured. From the carefully considered typography and visuals right through to the elegant copywriting and interesting stories featured, these are the type of magazines that will not only expand your mind, help you learn and discover new things; they will also look beautiful on your coffee table.

And as they're often artforms in themselves, these unique magazines are kept to enjoy for years to come, acting as archived inspiration to rediscover and browse whenever we run out of ideas and need a jolt of inspiration. Without further ado, here is Creative Boom's list of 20 recommended independent magazines, all updated for 2022.

1. Delayed Gratification

These days, most news journalism takes place online, which means that the competition to break a story first has reached a fever pitch. But in the process, the ordinary citizen is left a little short. With such an emphasis on the latest information, a lot of the wider context to events is left forgotten, leaving society with a very much unformed and disconnected view of what is actually going on in the world.

Hence, the rise of "slow news" takes more of a bird's eye view of the news, with the benefit of a little time and space. A great example of this approach can be found in the aptly named Delayed Gratification, a quarterly publication that revisits the events of the last three months to offer in-depth, independent journalism in an increasingly frantic world.

In its pages, you'll find reasoned, thoughtful and detailed articles that make you see events around the globe in a totally different way. Its latest issue, #44, looks back at July-September 2021 when the Taliban retook Afghanistan, Japan hosted a controversial Olympics, and Emma Raducanu pulled off the biggest of sporting upsets.

Another problem with mainstream news is that it tends to be very parochial, wherever you are. Monocle magazine was launched in 2007 to offer a more global view of politics, business, culture and design for an audience of readers eager to know what's going on beyond their national borders. Published in Zürich, it has an extensive network of correspondents in cities such as Milan, Bogotá and Paris, as well as bureaux in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Toronto.

The latest issue, #150, features a special report on humour and asks: what makes people laugh around the world, can politicians be funny, and why do people keep telling jokes that could land them in jail? It also features a report from the ground in a changing Ukraine, puts some fresh activewear through its paces, and learn the value of a tongue-in-cheek attitude to advertising.

Kinfolk is a print magazine centred on quality of life issues for a global community of creative professionals from London to Tokyo. Launched in 2011, it takes deep dives into issues surrounding the home, work, style and culture, and its quarterly print magazine is sold in over 100 countries in four languages.

The latest issue of Kinfolk, #42, addresses technology by focusing on the systems that underpin it, from the philosophy of Silicon Valley to the inscrutable laws of algorithms. There are also articles by Dev Hynes on music, Rawdah Mohamed on fashion and Fernando Caruncho on garden design.

Cereal is a biannual travel, art and style magazine based in the UK. Rather than trying to cover too many places at once and failing to go into any depth with any of them, each issue focuses on a select number of destinations. You'll also find engaging interviews and stories on unique design, art, and fashion.

The latest issue, #21, In this volume, is themed on the subject of preservation. Its writers visit the Goetheanum in Switzerland and rediscover the work of Auguste Rodin and the designs of Hvidt & Mølgaard. They also tour the collections of Sir John Soane's Museum and the Oxford Botanic Garden and contemplate memory and identity.

Cereal magazine

5. Dumbo Feather

Entrepreneurship isn't just about having extraordinary ideas. It's also about having the drive, energy and determination to make them succeed. Headquartered in Victoria, Australia, Dumbo Feather is a magazine about the extraordinary people you do so. In each issue, they score the globe to find passionate people to inspire, excite, and thrill its readers with possibility.

The latest issue, #68, is an ode to the spaces we cherish and have missed over the last two years of Australia lockdowns. The magazine gets inside the studios of artists, explore some of Melbourne's iconic eating spaces, walk through abundant backyard gardens, and explore places in the wilderness that have sustained life for millennia.

6. Dirty Furniture

Furniture normally only in appears magazines only as a community; a thing to buy and sell. Dirty Furniture, in contrast, uses furniture as a springboard to explore wider societal topics. Conceived as a finite printed series of six, this unusual publication showcases design's best writers and emerging talents.

Each issue takes a piece of furniture as its theme and uses it to examine topics including politics, design, history, technology, psychology, manufacturing, art, and the plain weird. The current edition, #5, is titled 'The Phone Issue' and boasts an exciting re-design by Studio Mathias Clottu. Inside, a series of insightful articles propose multiple ways of thinking about the phone – how we use it and how it uses us.

7. Standart

For many of us, coffee isn't just something you drink; it's a way of life. Drawing on this passion and interest, Standart is an award-winning, quarterly print magazine dedicated to the beauty of coffee. Created by people who believe that good coffee should be accessible to everyone, it ships worldwide, bundled with speciality coffee for free. Every issue has 144 pages printed on high-quality FSC-certified paper with 15 articles, stories, interviews or essays from some of the brightest minds in coffee and beyond.

The latest issue, #25, looks at water alkalinity: how to test it and how a little knowledge could save you a lot of money. There are also interviews with Joachim Morceau of the Parisian cafe Substance about terroir, competition success, and 'trafficked' coffee; and Ashley Dean of London's Royal Ballet, who talks about managing insane schedules, getting plenty of rest, and the dreaded foam roller.

Riposte is a magazine and online platform that profiles bold and fascinating women who challenge power structures and stereotypes. Their interviews are full of honesty rather than media-trained responses, as the subjects candidly discuss their successes & failures, their work, their passions and perspectives. There is also a range of essays and features covering a broad range of issues, including art, design, music, business, innovation, politics, social justice and environmental issues.

The latest issue, #13, is titled 'The Care Issue'. Céline Semaan, the founder of Slow Factory Foundation, discusses sustainability, environmental justice and the importance of spiritual healing; designer Nicole McLaughlin shows us around her New York studio to explore her practice of turning trash into treasure; and artist Cassi Namoda reflects on the power of saying no, creating strong boundaries and the importance of embracing the duality of life.

Dumbo Feather magazine

Kinfolk magazine

9. Little White Lies

Passionate about movies since 2005, Little White Lies magazine is an institution in the world of serious film criticism. The leading independent voice in film combines cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism to champion great movies and the people who make them. The writing is never anything less than top-notch.

The current issue, #92, features an interview with writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson and our actor Alana Haim about their hit movie Licorice Pizza. There's also a round-up of all the prime cinematic cuts of 1973, a profile of the actor and entrepreneur Gary Valentine, and an obituary for Baxter Conrad.

Established in 1997 and based in Amsterdam, Frame is an industry-leading print magazine for interior designers. Believing that meaningful spaces enable people to work, shop, relax and live better, it's packed with positive energy, inspiration and ideas.

The latest issue, #144, examines the choices that the remote working revolution has left us with. While working from home suits some people, it's not for everyone. And yet soul-sapping commutes are something to which few want to return. This issue explores the middle ground regarding work-near-home spaces, what it takes to make them successful, and how they fit into an overall trend for more localised living.

Huck was launched in 2006 and was initially inspired by the worlds of surfing and skating. Its coverage has since broadened to cover the wider world of independent culture and combines award-winning photography and original journalism to celebrate people and movements that challenge the status quo.

The latest issue, #76, focuses on London grime MC and rapper Ghetts and how 2021 belonged to him. He's joined in the issue by artist Amalia Ulman, writer Derek Owusu, Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker Julia Ducournau, underground rapper Chris Crack, and more.

12. Positive News

It's important to know about the bad news in the world, but it can start to make you depressed after a while. So here's a print magazine setting out to right the balance and help you get a sense of perspective. Positive News is dedicated to quality, independent reporting about what's going right. That doesn't mean fluffy, though: this is rigorous and relevant journalism that is focused on progress, possibility, and solutions. Topics covered typically focus around social and environmental progress, with high-impact photography and beautiful visual design.

The latest issue, #108, introduces the men helping to end violence against women. Other features include 'How risky playgrounds teach resilience', 'The hairdresser to the homeless' and 'Pollution solution pioneers'.

Riposte magazine

Openhouse magazine

13. The Skirt Chronicles

The Skirt Chronicles is a Paris-based publication exploring literature, fashion, culture and beyond. It prides itself on apportioning the same importance to photography as it does to the written word and is distributed in over 100 places worldwide. Its latest volume, VIII, features interviews with English actor Charlotte Rampling and American artist Brice Marden and the iconic Parisian shopping mall Beaugrenelle.

14. Sidetracked

Eager to travel again now borders have started reopening? Then you'll want to check out adventure travel magazine Sidetracked, which features inspiring photography and stories of adventures around the globe. In the latest issue, #22, Graham Zimmerman faces rockfall and avalanche when temperatures reach a searing 12°C high on K2; Lewis Pugh swims in freezing waters across the Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland; and a more intimate and domestic side to Siberia is revealed by photographer Michael Turek and Sophy Roberts.

15. Womankind

From independent publishing house Poet Press, which also publishes New Philosopher magazine, comes Womankind: an advertising-free women's magazine on self, identity and meaning in today's society. It features leading journalists, authors and artists and offers a mix of reporting and commentary on culture, creativity, philosophy, nature, and ways to live a more fulfilling life. The aim is to introduce ideas that challenge contemporary thought and conditioning.

The latest issue, #29, is themed on Saudi Arabia. Articles include the tale of a woman who grew up in the nomadic Bedouin tradition look, author Nicola Sutcliffe on what she discovered spending fours years collecting women's stories in the Middle East, and a look at learning a language as an adult, with advice from memory champions and memory experts.

A printed magazine that's independent and celebrates artists, creatives and designers, anyone its team of writers finds inspiring. Here, you'll find interviews alongside essays by a diverse mix of contributors and pages upon pages featuring beautiful shot editorials. Its latest edition features in-depth conversations with Matilda Goad, Bridie Hall, The Booth Sisters, David Vail, and more. We love Moon for its simple yet powerful cover designs, its gorgeous photography and ongoing discovery of creatives we've yet to read about.

Deem magazine

After quite the disruptive start to the decade, many of us are dreaming of a simpler life and are taking steps to lessen our impact on the planet. Nomad is a magazine perfect for that growing appetite as it explores issues concerning quality of life, sustainability and society by "curating the ideas of a growing global creative community". This is a magazine featuring inspiring creative visionaries, eco-pioneers, artists, authors, architects, entrepreneurs and designers worldwide, giving us new perspectives that might shape our lives now and in future.

Editors Frank Wagner, founder of branding and communication agency hw.design, and Veronika Kinczli, creative director, have been working on Nomad together since 2015. Located in Munich, north of the Alps, at the heart of Europe, the magazine is produced by a dedicated Nomad team along with a worldwide network of authors and photographers.

18. Storied

For those who love Japan, Storied is an indie magazine that offers content both online and in print with inspiration for travel, food and drink, craft and design. There are also interviews with people whose stories give us a fascinating glimpse into the country's art and culture. This is slow and sustainable journalism at its best with touching personal narratives, beautiful photography, and considered recommendations for the curious explorer.

Deem is a biannual print journal and online platform focused on design as social practice. Founded by Alice Grandoit, Marquise Stillwell and Nu Goteh, it seeks to uncover meaningful stories, connections, and patterns that might "help us better understand our histories and imagine our futures". Issue three is titled Envisioning Equity and is led by a conversation between the Black Reconstruction Collective and Deem's co-founders, one that explores how we can "best understand equity as a complex design challenge that recognises and accounts for disadvantage, damage, and liability".

20. Openhouse

Another biannual magazine, Openhouse, is always worth the wait. Focusing on art, design, architecture and culture, it's a guide for creative people who share a desire to conserve values like tradition, nature, art and identity. Its latest issue focuses on art spaces around the Mediterranean, including Fondation Maeght in Saint Paul de Vence and Hauser & Wirth in Menorca, both of which provide plenty of inspiration and vision.

There's also a closer look at Espacio Micus in Ibiza and Salvador Dali's Portlligat home, along with Vincenzo de Cotiis' house in Pietrasanta, a home that "fully embraces the artistic spirit". With gorgeous photography throughout, Openhouse is essential for any creative passionate about interior design and architecture.

Editor's Picks

Should creative agencies embrace the four-day week?

Deji Ajetomobi on how The Torsche is illuminating Africa's design landscape

Creative Boom at 15: What we stand for, and why creatives should care

Yuanhao Tang is an illustrator aiming to benefit his community through art

Keith Haring's iconic art is brought to life in a new pop-up book

Freelancers' best-kept secrets: top tips for thriving on your own

Jessica walsh launches her own type foundry, focused on 'emotional type'.

How French illustrator Lapin turned sketching from a pastime into a way of life

Small but perfectly formed: Seb Lester’s Tiny series

Lightning strikes with Nomad's designs for sports betting brand Betano

New Chicago park identity reflects the rich history and culture of the city’s South Side

The introvert's guide to creating video content: how to thrive on social media

Embracing Fun: The fuel for creative sparks, with Richard Speight, Jr.

The art of giving a f**k, with Kelly Korzun

Lines & Legacy: Exploring the creative process amidst industry shifts, with Christoph Niemann

Branding brilliance and crafting iconic identities at Koto, with G Torto

Further reading.

Finding your creative voice: An essential guide for building your personal brand

A growing resource for the creative industry of free stock images of the war in Ukraine

Gloomy and mysterious: Julia Petrova's latest artworks blend the psychedelic with horror

26 must-see creative festivals and conferences to enjoy in 2022

50 of the best graphic design blogs for inspiration in 2022

How to survive and thrive during the Great Resignation as a creative freelancer

21 awesome tools to help freelancers achieve smooth-running projects

Paintings by Greg Breda that reference pivotal moments for black characters in classic films

Get the best of Creative Boom delivered to your inbox weekly

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Submitting to Literary Magazines

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

OVERVIEW  

This section of the OWL seeks to demystify the process of submitting creative work to literary magazines. We’ll review topics such as how to figure out what to submit in the first place, how to find good potential homes for your work, and how to maximize your chances for acceptance. We’ve also included examples of writing relevant to the submission process such a cover letter and a biography as well as an acceptance and rejection letter to provide a look into what correspondence with literary magazines looks like.  

INTRODUCTION  

You’ve done it! Whether it was a lightning bolt of inspiration or weeks (months? years?) of writing and revising, you’ve crafted a piece of creative writing you’re proud of. Maybe it’s a sestina; maybe it’s a lyric essay. Whatever it is, you want to get it published. Reasons for publication are numerous: wanting to see what others think of your work, seeking a way to bulk up your CV, or hoping for a chance to get some hard-earned cash, just to name a few. Regardless of if you’ve submitted 100 times before or this is your first time, this resource will help you navigate the submission process.  

We’ll start by thinking through what you can submit in the first place. Next, we’ll move into thinking about where to submit, considering strategies for finding places to submit in the first place as well as how to discern whether or not a particular publication is a good fit for your work. After, we’ll think through the logistics of how to submit and talk through an example cover letter and biography (written materials you’ll almost certainly be asked to include in your submission). Finally, we’ll discuss what happens after you submit and review a few example rejection letters as well as an example acceptance letter.  

WHAT DO I SUBMIT?  

There are three main considerations when discerning what to submit: 1) whether or not a piece has already been published, 2) the genre of a piece, and 3) the length of a piece.   

First, if a piece has already been published, including on a personal blog, a website, and/or on social media, your piece is almost always not eligible for re-publication. The same goes for work that has already been self-published. Lit mags (also referred to throughout this document as literary magazines, literary journals, and journals) want to be the first to feature your work in question and not just “another place” that offers your work a home.  

Second, different lit mags accept different genres. For example, if you only write short stories, you won’t be able to publish in Rattle , which only publishes poetry. If you write in multiple different genres, you might find that you are able to submit your fiction to one magazine, and your essays to another.  

Third, lit mags often have length restrictions, which can vary widely. You might be able to submit poems only if they are 50 lines or less; or, you might be able to submit any type of prose so long as it is 6,000 words or less. If you tend to write particularly long pieces but want to submit to a lit mag that has length restrictions, try finding an excerpt of a larger work to submit or condensing your work for the sake of submitting it.  

WHERE DO I SUBMIT?  

After deciding to submit what work to submit, one question often looms: Where do I submit? Finding lit mags is just a Google search away. Chances are, you’ve heard of some flagship publications: The New Yorker , Paris Review , Ploughshares …. Just as there are myriads of different types of writing in the world, so too are there myriads of different kinds of lit mags. Some have been around for decades; some were founded earlier this year. Some only publish online; some only publish hard copy. Some are themed (nature poems only, zombie fiction only, Wyoming-themed work, etc.). Some operate through universities; others are independent. Some require payment to have your work read (usually a smallish fee, say, $3) whereas others allow you to submit for free. Some pay their contributors, though most don’t, or do only minimally. Some ask you to submit your work through Submittable (an online submissions-management platform) whereas a select few ask for hard copy submissions mailed to their office. (For more on this front, “How do I submit?” is a good place to start.) Seeking the right home for your work can be intimidating, but it’s not an impossible task. Below are four strategies to help you find places to submit to in the first place.  

1. This list from Driftwood Press: a good starting point!  

If you don’t know where to start, Driftwood Press keeps a massive “Where Else to Submit” list, linked above, that includes links to hundreds of different magazines and presses, what genres they accept, when their submission deadlines are, whether or not there is a submission fee, and whether or not they offer compensation for publication.  

The enormity of the list can be overwhelming, but you can always select a few lit mags on this list at random and begin scanning their websites to see what their publication is all about as you consider whether your work might find a good home there.

2. What writers do you like? Where did they publish?  

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite poet? Take a look at a book of theirs and see where they’ve published. This is especially relevant for books of poetry, essays, short stories, or other work often published as a collection. Just like musical artists often release a few singles before their album, it is commonplace for a writer to have portions of their work published in lit mags before putting out a book-length collection.  

In other words, if you like Writer X’s work, maybe you’ll like where she publishes, too! If you are reading contemporary work, it’s helpful simply to read the “Acknowledgements” pages and slowly get familiar with the names of different lit mags.   

3. Look local.  

If you are a Purdue student, maybe you’ve grown particularly fond of the cornfields in Indiana, and publishing work through a local journal is particularly appealing to you. If so, maybe you’d be especially drawn to the Sycamore Review , The Indianapolis Review , or any number of other journals based out of Indiana. To find local lit mags or publishers, a good start would be to visit a bookstore or library in your area and browse their shelves to see what lit mags they’re carrying. 

4. Consider submission windows.  

A vast majority of literary magazines do not accept submissions year-round; rather, they may have a “submission window” where they accept work. Some magazines only accept work one month of the year, whereas others may have two different three-month submission periods during the calendar year. Some magazines might have a month-long submission window (June 15-July 15, for example) that will automatically close once they reach a certain number of submissions. If, for instance, you only have time to commit to submitting your creative writing in the summer months, you’ll want to find magazines that accept submissions in the summertime. As you begin the process of finding lit mags you like and want to publish in, it might help to make a document to organize when you can submit to which magazine.   

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY WORK IS A GOOD FIT?  

Below are three considerations to help you gauge if your work seems like it could be a good fit for the journal you’ve found.  

1. Read the most recent issue.  

This is arguably the most time-consuming (and perhaps frustratingly obvious) tip, but it has to go first. Just like the best way to figure out if you like a restaurant is to try its food, the best way to figure out if you want to submit to a lit mag is to give it a read. If paying the $10 or $15 dollars necessary to order the lit mag (or pay for online access to it) isn’t possible or doesn’t appeal, fear not! There is often online content for your perusal. Most, though not all, lit mags have online features, so while you may not be able to read the most recent issue in its entirety, you can still read work that the magazine’s editors deemed fit for publication. Even if a lit mag doesn’t publish any of their work online (or a paywall prevents you from accessing it), lit mags that offer contests will often publish contest winners.

2. Read the “About Us.”  

Beyond growing familiar with work the lit mag publishes, check out the “About Us” page. This will often include the mission statement / vision for the journal, which can also be helpful in discerning if there might be aesthetic similarities and/or shared interested between you and the folks who run the journal. Further, it can be great to look into who runs the lit mag. If you’re sending in a short story, who is the fiction editor? Look that person up—maybe even read a short story published by the editor. Does this person seem like they might be interested in the kind of work you create?  

3. If you are in touch with other writers, use them as resources!  

Not everyone is in the position of having other writers nearby, but if you are in touch with other writers and/or know of writers who have publishing experience, feel free to ask them if they have any experience with the journal you have in mind. Maybe they won’t, but maybe they will—or know someone who does. (Consider this is a broader encouragement, too, to seek out community as you seek readers for your work.)  

WILL MY WORK BE ACCEPTED?  

It’s important to make a few concessions, here.  

Concession Number One: There are many more writers than there are literary magazines, journals, and publishers.   

Concession Number Two: Except for the most widely renowned writers (think, those who have entire bookcases devoted to them at big-name bookstores), creative writing is not a lucrative field, and likely will not become one.  

These two concessions combine for Concession Number Three: Readers and editors for literary magazines are swimming in submissions. It’s not unreasonable for a magazine to receive 700 short story submissions and only be able to publish five of them, or to receive 200 poetry submissions and only be able to publish eight.   

Space within magazines, especially print ones, is at a premium; the time of the person reading your submission is at a premium, too. It is actually a great sign of encouragement when, in response to your submission, you receive what’s known as a personalized rejection rather than a form rejection. That is, you might receive a note informing you that, while the journal cannot publish your work at this time, they enjoyed reading it and would love to hear more from you in the future. (Read more below on I submitted: Now what?)  

So, will your work be accepted? Statistically speaking, it’s unlikely. But, it’s also unlikely for an NFL team to win a Super Bowl, or a scientist to win a Nobel Prize, or a student to get admitted into Harvard, but these things happen every single year. If publishing is something important to you, don’t let the odds stop you from trying.   

WHAT CAN I DO TO MAXIMIZE MY CHANCES OF BEING PUBLISHED?  

While publication percentages may not be particularly confidence-inspiring, there are things you can do to increase the chance your work will get picked up.  

1. Submit your best work.  

This is perhaps obvious, but it bears noting. As discussed above, readers for lit mags are often inundated with submissions. Submit your best work first to help yourself stand out. If you’re unsure which is “best,” ask a trusted reader for their opinion. Further, if you are submitting a packet (two different flash fiction pieces, or five pomes) rather than an individual work, start with the strongest. 

2. Read the submission guidelines!  

For better or worse, lit mag readers and editors are almost always looking for ways to easily shrink their stack of 1,000 submissions, to, say, 100. And then to 10. There is no easier way to get your submission denied than by neglecting to follow every submission guideline. This means that you should not submit four poems when the magazine only accepts three, submit a PDF when the magazine asks for a Word doc, or submit your fiction to the nonfiction category. Similarly, do not send in a 2,500-word essay when the journal asks for a 2,400-word maximum.  

Follow all submission guidelines exactly, not because it is so important to, say, have your bio in third-person as opposed to first-person, but because following these guidelines will allow the reader to immediately dive into the important material—your work—without getting bogged down by any logistical hiccups. Further, adhering to the submission guidelines shows that you yourself are a careful reader and that you respect the journal by following said guidelines in the first place.  

3. Make sure your work is a good fit in the first place!  

Revisit “How do I know if my work is a good fit?” above.  

4. Consider simultaneous submissions.  

Most journals accept simultaneous submissions, which is, as the term suggests, submitting your work story to multiple different journals simultaneously. Most journals will clarify in their guidelines whether or not they accept simultaneous submissions (a vast majority do, so long as you let Journal B know that your piece is no longer available as soon as Journal A accepts it .) If there’s a short story you really want in the world, consider sending it to a handful, maybe even two handfuls, of places.  

CONTESTS VS. GENERAL SUBMISSIONS 

Another consideration for submissions is whether you’d prefer to submit to magazine’s general submissions, their contests, or a mix of both. Contests, offered by some—not all—journals, are generally more competitive and more expensive to enter (fees usually range between $20-$30). But, winning them almost always comes with clout as well as prize money, ranging from modest sums ($100) to larger ones ($1,000+). Sometimes, contest winners are selected by a guest judge (generally a respected and perhaps well-known writer), and other times they are chosen by the editors of the magazine themselves.  

One thing to note is that even if you don’t win the contest, it can be possible to still be picked up for publication by the journal as a finalist or simply as someone who caught the attention of the judges. Whether or not finalists and/or semifinalists are published alongside the contest winner (or winners) is up to the magazine’s discretion.  

HOW DO I SUBMIT?  

On the websites of most journals, there will most likely be a tab that says “Submit” or “Submissions.” Occasionally, this tab is slightly buried somewhere on the webpage. (Look in the “About Us” or “Contact Us” sections of the site if you have trouble finding it.)  

In terms of actually submitting, a vast majority of journals only accept—or greatly prefer—online submissions. Generally, this is done via a platform called Submittable that allows you (as the submitter) to manage and track your submissions, just as it allows the journal editors to track and view their submissions. Sometimes, submitting is done via an in-house submission portal, and, in the rarest of circumstances, a magazine will only accept mailed, hard copy submissions. Regardless, the lit mag will (or should ) have their submissions process clearly demarcated on their website in terms of 1) how to submit, 2) what time(s) of year they accept submissions, and 3) what they are looking for in terms of submissions (genre, page length, etc.).  

As noted previously, following these submission guidelines exactly is in your best interest. Beyond preparing your piece of writing for submission and figuring out the journal’s guidelines so you can follow them, there are two other pieces to the submission puzzle you’ll need: a strong cover letter and a solid, succinct bio.    

COVER LETTER + EXAMPLE  

The cover letter is your chance to briefly let the journal know 1) what you are submitting as well as 2) why you are submitting to that magazine in particular. The best-case scenario for a cover letter is that you’ve presented yourself in a professional manner as an eager, capable writer with a strong reason for submitting to the journal. What follows is an example cover letter:  

Dear Audrey Li and the entire Coffee Journal team,  

Please consider my following poems, “Exciting Poem 1,” “Clever Poem 2,” and “Memorable Poem 3” for inclusion within an upcoming edition of Coffee Journal . I especially admired Ash Lever’s “Brilliantly Titled Poem” in your latest edition and would be honored for my work to be considered for publication in an upcoming edition of your journal.  

This is a simultaneous submission, and I will let you know immediately if any of these poems are accepted elsewhere.   

Thank you in advance for taking the time to consider my work.  

Best,  

It’s helpful to make a few quick notes on this example cover letter and what this writer does well. She…  

• Addresses, by name, the relevant genre editor to whom she has addressed the cover letter.  
• Includes the name of the work she is submitting, as well as the professional, polite request to consider her work in an upcoming edition of the journal.  
• Mentions something she specifically admires about the journal in question, revealing herself as someone who has “done her homework”—that is, she is showing that she really does have (at least some) vested interest in this magazine.  
• Notes that her submission is simultaneous; that is, she is submitting these poems to other magazines as well. As previously noted, this is fine to do if the magazine accepts simultaneous submissions so long as she lets Coffee Journal know that one (or more) of her poems is no longer available as soon as she learned another journal has accepted them.   
• Concludes the note by thanking the editor(s). Remember, these cover letters are being read by readers who are often underpaid or unpaid and who have, more often than not, dozens and dozens of pieces to read. Kindness in a cover letter is important here just as it is elsewhere.  

For more, The Adroit Journal has a great piece further explaining the ins and outs of cover letter writing with an annotated example.  

BIOGRAPHY + EXAMPLE  

The biography is your chance to briefly give a glimpse of who your writer-self is. Common information to include is where you are from, where you went to or are going to school, what you do for work, and where you have been previously published (if applicable). Writing in third person is the best way to go.   

Generally, these are expected to be professional. That said, if the journal you are applying to is particularly quirky, or you have no desire to confine yourself to the constraints of a traditional cover letter, feel free to be quirky. The best-case scenario for a biography is that, similarly to the cover letter, you’ve presented yourself as a professional and given the magazine a small glimpse of who you are.  

For those of you asking, “What do I put for publications if I haven’t published anywhere yet?” the answer is simple: nothing. Don’t let your lack of publishing be a catch-22 stopping you from trying to publish in the first place. And take heart: Many magazines exist specifically with the mission to promote new and emerging writers.   

What follows is an example biography:  

A. Writer is a poet from Indiana. She received her MFA in poetry from A Super Excellent University, and her poems have appeared in This Cool Journal and are forthcoming from Another Cool Journal . She lives in West Lafayette where she teaches high school English.

I SUBMITTED! NOW WHAT?  

Congratulations! Even if your work is not selected by the particular lit mag you submitted to, you are putting your work out in the world. At this point, you wait. Response times vary widely, from several weeks to up to a year (or more). Many magazines have submission guidelines indicating about how long you should expect to wait to hear back. Some will also ask that they not be contacted with an inquiry about your submission until a certain amount of time has passed.  

During the waiting process, don’t let your writing life be put on hold! A common saying in the journalistic field applies here: “Work is never finished, it just meets deadline.” Feel free to continue shaping the writing projects you submitted, or leave them until you hear back from journals and allow yourself to start writing in new directions.   

REJECTION LETTERS: TWO TYPES + EXAMPLES  

Generally speaking, there are two different types of rejection letters a lit mag can give, and—perhaps surprisingly—one of these is actually good news. The first type is a form rejection letter. This is a generic rejection, meaning this letter is copy and pasted to each person who receives it (with the exception of changing the submitter’s name and the title of their submitted work). A form rejection might look like this:  

Dear A. Writer,  

Thank you for submitting “Exciting Poem 1,” “Clever Poem 2,” and “Memorable Poem 3” to Coffee Journal . Unfortunately, we decided your work was not a fit for us at this time.  

Sincerely,  

The Editors  

A personalized rejection, on the other hand, while still a rejection, often includes some kind of encouragement. Two different examples, followed by an explanation of why a personalized rejection is good news, follows:  

Thank you for submitting “Exciting Poem 1,” “Clever Poem 2,” and “Memorable Poem 3” to Coffee Journal . While we are not able to find a place for it at this time, we found your work exciting and greatly enjoyed reading it. We would look forward to reading more of your writing in the future.  

Thank you for submitting to Coffee Journal . Though we have decided against publishing your work at this time, we found “Clever Poem 2” particularly moving. Please keep up in mind for future work.  

On the outset, the form rejection letter and the personalized rejection letters don’t have much of a difference. But take heart: That extra line in the personalized rejection letters is a big deal. Anything such as an invitation to resubmit, a specific, encouraging note about your work, and / or commentary about your specific pieces or writing are signs your rejection was personalized rather than a form rejection. This means that out of the large amount of work that journal received, while your work wasn’t part of the teeny percentage chosen for publication, it stood out to the editors. It’s not a bad idea to consider submitting again a future reading period for that lit mag; if you do so, consider adding a note in your cover letter that you’ve been encouraged to resubmit.    

DEALING WITH REJECTION  

In an interview with Michigan Quarterly Review , poet Hannah Ensor spoke well on creative writing awards (and, perhaps by extension, publication): “I think that it means a lot when you do win, but it means almost nothing when you don’t.”   

In a world where editors and readers for lit mags are swimming in submissions, a rejection is not so much a condemnation of your work as a “out of the 100 pieces we received, this is not one of the five we are able to accept.” This isn’t to say that rejection doesn’t sting; no one likes getting turned down. For better or worse, rejection is simply part of the process.  

Further, being rejected from a particular journal is not necessarily a suggestion that your work isn’t a good fit for the journal; much is up to chance in terms of who first reads your work. Many lit mags, especially larger ones, have teams of readers that will curate a small portion of submissions for more serious consideration by the section or genre editor(s). Your submission to Coffee Journal this year may be read by a completely different set of eyes than last year.   

Finally, consider the following positive spins on rejection:  

• Rejection is an invitation to keep writing.   

On the one hand, it’s an opportunity to return to your work: What might be revised? How might you make your work come more fully into its own? On the other hand, it can be an opportunity to dive into something new, with all the knowledge and experience you’ve now gained from writing what you’ve already written. (If having writing that never gets published is a depressing thought, consider this encouragement by accomplished writer Anne Lamott in an essay of hers embracing the messiness of first drafts: “Just get it all down on paper, because there may be something great in those six crazy pages that you would never have gotten to by more rational, grown-up means. There may be something in the very last line of the very last paragraph on page six that you just love, that is so beautiful or wild that you now know what you’re supposed to be writing about, more or less, or in what direction you might go – but there was no way to get to this without first getting through the first five and a half pages.”)  

• Rejection is an opportunity to revisit why you write in the first place.  

Why did you write that story, that poem, that essay in the first place? Rejection can provide a tangible time to revisit your “Why?” as a writer. If you’re writing for the money and you’ve gotten numerous rejections from paid awards, perhaps writing is not the most prudent path forward. If you’re writing because you feel you have something to say, because you love language, because it’s a way for you to discover what you’re thinking and how you feel about the world, well…rejection can’t touch those motivations. Remind yourself why you got into writing in the first place and keep at it.  

ACCEPTANCE LETTERS: YOU’RE IN! WHAT’S NEXT?  

The purpose of acceptance letters is simple. You’re in! Like a job offer, an acceptance letter from a lit mag means you have an offer for publication—they want you if you want them. After your work is accepted, there a few things that will happen:  

• You will need to read and sign a contract detailing:  
• What the lit mag needs from you (such as an updated bio) between that moment and publication.  
• What happens with the rights of your creative work ( this page by Poets & Writers details copyright information in more depth).  
• What compensation you will be provided with (if applicable).  
• You may correspond with an editor from the journal to perform final edits and/or revisions of your creative piece(s).  
• You may need to submit an updated author information, such as a bio, and/or a finalized version of your creative piece(s).  
• You need, if applicable, to immediately withdraw the work that is being published from any other lit mags you submitted it to. This is generally done by contacting the magazines through Submittable or by emailing the editors—lit mags’ Submissions page will generally clarify how they’d like to be notified if you need to withdraw part or all of your submission.  

EXAMPLE ACCEPTANCE LETTER  

Thank you for sending us “Exciting Title Number 1” and “Memorable Title Number 3.” We greatly enjoyed both of them and would like to publish them in Coffee Journal ’s next edition.  

As per our submission guidelines, we offer three free copies of the edition in which your work appears. Please click here to confirm acceptance.   

Thank you for sending your work! We look forward to hearing from you.  

Audrey Li  

Coffee Journal Poetry Editor  

Just a few things to note, here:   

• Getting an acceptance does not necessarily mean the journal is accepting every piece of work your sent; it simply means they are accepting one (or more) of your pieces.  
• Generally, acceptance letters are more personalized; the magazine has chosen your work and is eager to make a good impression on you just as you’ve made a good impression on them. In this vein, acceptance letters are generally sent from the particular editor who chose your work or oversees your genre, whereas a rejection letter is often from the unnamed “Editors”.  

CLOSING THOUGHTS  

Submitting work can be any number of things: exciting, gut-wrenching, confusing, tedious. Regardless of your personal attachment to—or detachment from—the submission process, it’s an important process to understand as a creative writer. Even though the odds may be that a rejection is much more likely than an acceptance, you never know unless you try.   

Imagine if the writer of your own favorite book never took the chance to submit it for publication in the first place. Thank goodness they did take that chance so their writing could change you and others—in however big or small a way. This chance, submitting work for publication, is one that you can take, too.  

Best of luck, and happy submitting!  

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES  

Submission Etiquette: The Cincinnati Review has a short, helpful article on submission reminders.   

Writing Cover Letters: The Adroit Journal has a great piece explaining the ins and outs of cover letter writing.  

Submission Opportunities: Driftwood Press: Where Else to Submit  

The Invisible Art of Literary Editing : an in-depth look into the inner workings of literary magazines.  

Submittable : a common platform lit mags will request submissions through.  

Copyright Information : This page by Poets & Writers explains relevant copyright information for writers.   

REFERENCES  

Jenkins, Marlin M. Somatic Pinging: An Interview with Hannah Ensor, Michigan Quarterly  Review Blog, Mar 25, 2019, https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/2019/03/somatic-pinging-an-interview-with-hannah-ensor/ .  

Lamott, Anne. "Shitty First Drafts.” Language Awareness: Readings for College Writers. Ed. by  Paul Eschholz, Alfred Rosa, and Virginia Clark. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005: 93-96.  

Home » Self-Publishing » Our favorite magazines for writers

11 Indie Literary Magazines You Should Be Reading

Reading Lists

Steven watson, founder of stack, recommends print lit mags.

Independent magazines are notorious outsiders. Generally made with lots of passion and not much cash, they’re gloriously uncommercial artefacts of our current age of creative independence, in which virtually anyone with an internet connection and an Adobe Creative Cloud license can publish their own professional quality print magazine. Of course the fact that pretty much anyone can now be their own editor-in-chief and creative director means that lots of the work committed to print isn’t all that good, but there are some extraordinary gems out there waiting to be found, and that’s what we spend our days doing.

Stack searches out the best independent magazines and delivers them to thousands of readers around the world every month—you never know what you’re going to get next, but you do know it will be a beautiful, intelligent print magazine you probably wouldn’t otherwise have come across. We pride ourselves on delivering a wide range of magazines covering all sorts of subjects, but for the following list we’ve focused on the literary magazines we’re currently enjoying the most.

The White Review

One of London’s most revered independent literary magazines, The White Review mixes outstanding fiction, essays and poetry with beautiful art and photography all wrapped up in a lovely, thick print edition. Launched in 2011, its founding aim was to provide “a space for a new generation to express itself unconstrained by form, subject or genre”, and today it publishes in monthly online editions, but it’s the roughly triannual print version that we love. The current issue looks at first glance like a sort of bookish fashion magazine, with its cover featuring a photograph by artist Elad Lassry, but the content inside ranges far and wide, covering subjects including migration and asylum, LGBTQ+ spaces, race and disability. Essential and important, but with a fantastic lightness of touch, a new issue of The White Review is always eagerly anticipated in the Stack office.  

Freeman’s looks like a book but it self-defines as a magazine. “I think a magazine is tracking and engaging with culture,” explains editor John Freeman, who used to head up Granta . “It has an ongoingness, whereas an anthology freezes a moment, perhaps, and puts it in two covers.” The fifth issue is about power: it’s topical, but in a pleasurably sideways way. One of the most beautiful things here is a poem by Julia Alvarez that reimagines Penelope, happy alone, disappointed when Odysseus finally comes home: “He’s back, disguised as an old man/ to test my virtue… I would be rid of him.”

The plaything of one extraordinary tinkerer, science-fiction magazine Visions is a testament to the power of passion. Creative technologist and sci-fi fan Mathieu Triay began the project by making Marvin Visions, the typeface that he uses for titles throughout the magazine and its website. Licensing the typeface online generated enough money to pay for printing the first issue, and he uses the magazine as a platform for both new and established science-fiction writers. In the latest issue, for example, multi-award winning author Robert Silverberg’s story “Caliban” is set in an alarmingly lithe, glistening future, as seen through the eyes of a man who has become the only relic of our messy, hairy times. Silverberg locates his smooth sexualization a hundred-odd years into the future, but in “Hyperbeauty,” the non-fiction essay that follows it, master’s student Raquel Hollman seems to respond to Silverberg by showing how our world is already uncomfortably sexualized and dominated by ideals of “perfect beauty.”

American Chordata

One of the defining characteristics of New York-based American Chordata is that it looks really good. Mixing short stories and poetry with photography, the pictures aren’t specially commissioned. Instead, art director Bobby Doherty mines the internet for art all year long, and then sets his favorites next to the text in a strange, non-illustrative way, almost like collage. In the most recent issue—AC’s ninth—Tatu Gustafsson’s grainy CCTV images of a lonely figure standing by the sides of roads are dropped throughout Angela Woodward’s disturbing short story “Decoy Animals,” the writing and images each intensifying the other. [Editor’s note: Erin Bartnett, associate editor at Recommended Reading, is also the fiction editor at American Chordata.]

The Stinging Fly

An Irish literary magazine of new writing, The Stinging Fly has excellent pedigree—Sally Rooney is a contributing editor, and on these pages there’s an echo of her attention to the minute detail of how we see ourselves and are seen by others. The current issue is fronted by a brilliantly fleshy artwork by Irish Japanese painter Shane Berkery, which sets the tone for the intimate and personal reflections that run through the fiction and poetry inside.

Founded by Francis Ford Coppola in 1997, Zoetrope was originally conceived as a way to inspire independent movie-making, by providing a space for writers to publish their short fiction and plays. The magazine’s role-call of contributors is ludicrously star-spangled—the rotating guest-designer spot has been filled by Bowie and Lynch, to name only Davids. But what makes this magazine remarkable is how lightly it wears its famous names. Virtually unknown here in the U.K., and boasting just a thousand or so Instagram followers, you get the feeling the only thing its editors really care about is the quality of the fiction. 

This London-based journal of sexuality and erotics was started in 2018 by the Feeld dating app, and it’s run today by editor Maria Dimitrova, who works with editorial independence to assemble an inventive series of poems and short stories that explore the frontiers of sexual life. Of course any literary magazine stands or falls on the strength of its writing, and Mal brings together some exceptional talent: the latest issue includes an original piece by cult author Chris Kraus and a short story by Luke Brown that was commended in the Best Original Fiction category at this year’s Stack Awards. 

Worms is a literary magazine about style: writing style, but also sartorial. We are all worms, Clem Macleod explains in her editor’s letter, and “in the end, we’re going to be eaten by them. As a Worm, you will fertilise your mind with glorious words.” Using clothes as a way of worming your way into a writer’s work is a contentious business. Traditionally understood to be something frivolous women like, clothes are depicted here to be so much more interesting. Author Natasha Stagg is interviewed, and the first question she is asked is whether everyday dressing is a sort of curation of self. This idea—that dressing up can be a way of slipping out of your identity and trying on another—is most fully realized in a feature towards the middle, where Clem goes to visit a box of the late punk writer Kathy Acker’s clothes, and tries some on. Acker is the cover star, and the whole issue is a homage to her. The clothes are “unwashed, crumpled” and “musky”; a mass of Vivienne Westwood, Commes Des Garcons and Betsey Johnson. Trying on your dead hero’s outfits is thrillingly intimate. As readers, we feel that we should like to do this intimate thing, too.

The Lifted Brow

“A quarterly attack journal from Australia and the world,” The Lifted Brow is based in Melbourne and sets out to showcase the most inventive and accomplished experimental storytelling. The result includes fiction and non-fiction, poetry and comics, and frequently gives a voice to groups that aren’t commonly heard. Last year’s 40th edition, for example, was re-branded Blak Brow , and was created entirely by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, born out of the conviction that “blak” women’s writing can “transcend off the pages and topple the patriarchy.”

Somesuch Stories

The fourth issue of this U.K. literary journal is themed “redemption,” a word editor Suze Olbrich defines as borderline archaic. But the idea of absolution still sticks its pins into us. In a largely secular world, we share what Olbrich calls a “gnarly yearning for liberation from guilt; for forgiveness—for salvation.” It’s a great theme, and while the stories on these pages are uneven, when they’re good, they’re very very good. Like Luke Turner’s beautiful, ambivalent essay on cruising, looking back on encounters he is now old enough to recognize as abusive. And Kieran Yates’ fan fiction about women of color in popular culture; from Padma Patil, to Ursula from The Little Mermaid .

Mekong Review

Launched in 2015 at the Kampot Writers and Readers Festival in Cambodia, the Mekong Review was created as a platform for the literary scene in Southeast Asia. Over the years its influence has spread, and today it publishes essays, interviews, poetry and fiction drawn from across Asia and Australasia. It’s proud to claim no political allegiance, and the current issue includes thoughtful and critical reviews and essays inspired by the protests in Hong Kong, as well as politically-inflected commentary from Thailand, Malaysia, China, Myanmar and beyond.

Take a break from the news

We publish your favorite authors—even the ones you haven't read yet. Get new fiction, essays, and poetry delivered to your inbox.

YOUR INBOX IS LIT

Enjoy strange, diverting work from The Commuter on Mondays, absorbing fiction from Recommended Reading on Wednesdays, and a roundup of our best work of the week on Fridays. Personalize your subscription preferences here.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

9 Books that Celebrate the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Writing that reminds us why we can’t wait for progress

Jan 20 - Dianca London Read

More like this.

Which Looks Better, Hardcovers or Paperbacks?

Our readers voted for their favorite covers of 20 books, and the winners may surprise you

Jun 26 - Vivienne Germain

Emma Copley Eisenberg’s “Housemates” Is a Lone Departure From the Fatphobic Literary Hellscape

A story without a single fat character can sometimes expose the author and their biases most of all

Jun 25 - Elizabeth Endicott

Driving Around San Francisco with a Famous Antiwar Hero

Tony was charismatic. He was brave. He’d help steal the Pentagon Papers.

Jun 13 - Francine Prose

DON’T MISS OUT

Sign up for our newsletter to get submission announcements and stay on top of our best work.

Writers' Hour Magazine

📖 Introducing Writers' Hour Magazine & Our New Weekly Writing Contest!

Stretch your creative muscles. win cash prizes. connect with fellow writers..

At the London Writers' Salon , our goal is to encourage and nurture writers of all kinds.

From our daily Writers’ Hour writing sprints, to community meetups and in-depth interviews and workshops , our mission is to inspire creativity and help writers get closer to their creative goals.

We aim to build the most vibrant and supportive corner of the internet for writers to connect, learn, and grow alongside others from around the globe. Whether you’re writing your very first draft, starting a journaling practice, or polishing a manuscript, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

To continue this mission, we’re excited to announce the launch of Writers' Hour Magazine and our Weekly Writers’ Hour Contest , designed to support your creative exploration and celebrate your talent.

Writers’ Hour Magazine 

Writers' Hour Magazine is a new publication curated by the team at London Writers' Salon, publishing winning entries from our Weekly Writers' Hour Contest .

We aim to celebrate and showcase new writing, support writers around the world, encourage creative health, and explore the writing life in all its richness.

Weekly Writers' Hour Contest

The Weekly Writers' Hour Contest is designed to inspire creativity and celebrate writers.

Each week, we’ll release a new creative writing prompt. These prompts will be an opportunity for writers of all experience levels and working in all genres to stretch their writing muscles for a chance to win a cash prize and publication in our new Writers’ Hour Magazine.

Our aim is to create a fun and rewarding way to push your creative boundaries, connect with a global community of writers, and see your work recognized.

✏️ How It Works:

A New Challenge Every Week: Each Sunday at 9pm BST (4pm ET / 1pm PT), we'll drop a fresh writing prompt via this publication, Writers’ Hour Magazine.

Submission Window: You’ll have until the following Friday at 5pm BST (12pm ET / 9am PT) to polish and enter your submission.

How to Enter & Submit :

Subscribe for free to Writers’ Hour Magazine to receive the weekly contest prompt. The prompt will be visible to subscribers only.

Submit your entry through Submittable . (To keep this as inclusive as possible, there will NO FEE to submit.)

Your first prompt drops Sunday, September 22nd.

🏆 What You Can Win:

First Prize:

$100 USD (about £75 GBP)

Publication in Writers’ Hour Magazine

3-month complimentary London Writers’ Salon Silver Membership

Commemorative Writers’ Hour trophy mug ☕️

Second Prize:

A special mention in Writers’ Hour Magazine

1-month complimentary London Writers’ Salon Silver Membership

Third Prize:

Ready to Write?

Subscribe to Writers’ Hour Magazine to receive the prompt and submit.

We can't wait to see what you come up with!

PS: Join us at Writers’ Hour

Come work on your submission at Writers' Hour —our daily silent writing sprints—where writers from around the world come together to work on their projects. It’s the perfect environment to focus, find inspiration, and make progress on your contest entry. Come write with us. We’d love to welcome you to our community. 

Happy writing, friends! ✍️

Liked by Lindsey Trout Hughes, Matt Trinetti, London Writers' Salon Liked by Lindsey Trout Hughes, Matt Trinetti Ready for more? Home  /  Illustration  /  CreativePro Magazine Issue 35: Accessibility Tools September 2024 Accessibility Tools for Designers Tools and tips that empower designers to create inclusive content for everyone Using the Dimension Tool in Illustrator Your guide to adding live, dynamic measurements to your vector artwork Using AI to Write Scripts How to use ChatGPT or Copilot to write custom scripts for your Adobe apps Using the Adjustment Brush in Photoshop Brush on nondestructive image adjustments Using the Selection Brush in Photoshop Use your favorite painting techniques to make selections Resource of the Month: Fall Foliage Art & Pattern Set Reach for these assets when you want to pumpkin spice up your designs. Recommended For You Editor’s Picks for The Design + Accessibility Summit 2024 How to View Graphics With a Color Blindness Simulator for Better Accessibility InDesign 19.5: EPUB Export Updates To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies allows us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen. Advanced Search Forgot Password? Not a member? You have to be logged in to save. Not a member?   Join Today - it's FREE! Jump to navigation Skip to content Search form P&W on Facebook P&W on Twitter P&W on Instagram Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere. Find a home for your poems, stories, essays, and reviews by researching the publications vetted by our editorial staff. In the Literary Magazines database you’ll find editorial policies, submission guidelines, contact information—everything you need to know before submitting your work to the publications that share your vision for your work. Whether you’re pursuing the publication of your first book or your fifth, use the Small Presses database to research potential publishers, including submission guidelines, tips from the editors, contact information, and more. Research more than one hundred agents who represent poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, plus details about the kinds of books they’re interested in representing, their clients, and the best way to contact them. Every week a new publishing professional shares advice, anecdotes, insights, and new ways of thinking about writing and the business of books. Find publishers ready to read your work now with our Open Reading Periods page, a continually updated resource listing all the literary magazines and small presses currently open for submissions. Since our founding in 1970, Poets & Writers has served as an information clearinghouse of all matters related to writing. While the range of inquiries has been broad, common themes have emerged over time. Our Top Topics for Writers addresses the most popular and pressing issues, including literary agents, copyright, MFA programs, and self-publishing. Our series of subject-based handbooks (PDF format; $4.99 each) provide information and advice from authors, literary agents, editors, and publishers. Now available: The Poets & Writers Guide to Publicity and Promotion, The Poets & Writers Guide to the Book Deal, The Poets & Writers Guide to Literary Agents, The Poets & Writers Guide to MFA Programs, and The Poets & Writers Guide to Writing Contests. Find a home for your work by consulting our searchable databases of writing contests, literary magazines, small presses, literary agents, and more. Poets & Writers lists readings, workshops, and other literary events held in cities across the country. Whether you are an author on book tour or the curator of a reading series, the Literary Events Calendar can help you find your audience. Get the Word Out is a new publicity incubator for debut fiction writers and poets. Research newspapers, magazines, websites, and other publications that consistently publish book reviews using the Review Outlets database, which includes information about publishing schedules, submission guidelines, fees, and more. Well over ten thousand poets and writers maintain listings in this essential resource for writers interested in connecting with their peers, as well as editors, agents, and reading series coordinators looking for authors. Apply today to join the growing community of writers who stay in touch and informed using the Poets & Writers Directory. Let the world know about your work by posting your events on our literary events calendar, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more. Find a writers group to join or create your own with Poets & Writers Groups. Everything you need to connect, communicate, and collaborate with other poets and writers—all in one place. Find information about more than two hundred full- and low-residency programs in creative writing in our MFA Programs database, which includes details about deadlines, funding, class size, core faculty, and more. Also included is information about more than fifty MA and PhD programs. Whether you are looking to meet up with fellow writers, agents, and editors, or trying to find the perfect environment to fuel your writing practice, the Conferences & Residencies is the essential resource for information about well over three hundred writing conferences, writers residencies, and literary festivals around the world. Discover historical sites, independent bookstores, literary archives, writing centers, and writers spaces in cities across the country using the Literary Places database—the best starting point for any literary journey, whether it’s for research or inspiration. Search for jobs in education, publishing, the arts, and more within our free, frequently updated job listings for writers and poets. Establish new connections and enjoy the company of your peers using our searchable databases of MFA programs and writers retreats, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more. Register for Classes Each year the Readings & Workshops program provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops. Learn more about this program, our special events, projects, and supporters, and how to contact us. The Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community, providing them with a network for professional advancement. Find information about how Poets & Writers provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops. Bring the literary world to your door—at half the newsstand price. Available in print and digital editions, Poets & Writers Magazine is a must-have for writers who are serious about their craft. View the contents and read select essays, articles, interviews, and profiles from the current issue of the award-winning Poets & Writers Magazine . Read essays, articles, interviews, profiles, and other select content from Poets & Writers Magazine as well as Online Exclusives. View the covers and contents of every issue of Poets & Writers Magazine , from the current edition all the way back to the first black-and-white issue in 1987. Every day the editors of Poets & Writers Magazine scan the headlines—publishing reports, literary dispatches, academic announcements, and more—for all the news that creative writers need to know. In our weekly series of craft essays, some of the best and brightest minds in contemporary literature explore their craft in compact form, articulating their thoughts about creative obsessions and curiosities in a working notebook of lessons about the art of writing. The Time Is Now offers weekly writing prompts in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction to help you stay committed to your writing practice throughout the year. Sign up to get The Time Is Now, as well as a weekly book recommendation for guidance and inspiration, delivered to your inbox. Every week a new author shares books, art, music, writing prompts, films—anything and everything—that has inspired and shaped the creative process. Listen to original audio recordings of authors featured in Poets & Writers Magazine . Browse the archive of more than 400 author readings. Ads in Poets & Writers Magazine and on pw.org are the best ways to reach a readership of serious poets and literary prose writers. Our audience trusts our editorial content and looks to it, and to relevant advertising, for information and guidance. Start, renew, or give a subscription to Poets & Writers Magazine ; change your address; check your account; pay your bill; report a missed issue; contact us. Peruse paid listings of writing contests, conferences, workshops, editing services, calls for submissions, and more. Poets & Writers is pleased to provide free subscriptions to Poets & Writers Magazine to award-winning young writers and to high school creative writing teachers for use in their classrooms. Read select articles from the award-winning magazine and consult the most comprehensive listing of literary grants and awards, deadlines, and prizewinners available in print. Subscribe Now MFA Programs Contact Form Help us keep this database current. If you have updated information on one of the programs listed in the MFA database, let us know. MFA Programs Database Help Keep This Database Current Our MFA database includes essential information about low- and full-residency graduate creative writing programs in the United States and other English-speaking countries to help you decide where to apply. Adelphi University Poetry: Jan-Henry Gray, Maya Marshall Prose: Katherine Hill, René Steinke, Igor Webb Albertus Magnus College Poetry: Paul Robichaud Fiction: Sarah Harris Wallman Nonfiction: Eric Schoeck Alma College Poetry: Leslie Contreras Schwartz, Jim Daniels, Benjamin Garcia Fiction: Karen E. Bender, Shonda Buchanan, Dhonielle Clayton, S. Kirk Walsh Creative Nonfiction: Anna Clark, Matthew Gavin Frank, Donald Quist, Robert Vivian American University Poetry: Kyle Dargan, David Keplinger Fiction: Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Stephanie Grant, Patricia Park Nonfiction: Rachel Louise Snyder Antioch University Poetry: Victoria Chang Prose: Lisa Locascio Arcadia University Poetry: Genevieve Betts, Michelle Reale Fiction: Stephanie Feldman, Joshua Isard, Tracey Levine, Eric Smith Literature: Matthew Heitzman, Christopher Varlack, Elizabeth Vogel, Jo Ann Weiner Poetry: Genevieve Betts, Michelle Reale Fiction: Stephanie Feldman, Joshua Isard, Tracey Levine, Eric Smith Arizona State University Poetry: Sally Ball, Natalie Diaz, Alberto Álvaro Ríos, Safiya Sinclair Fiction: Matt Bell, Jenny Irish, Tara Ison, Mitchell Jackson, T. M. McNally Creative Nonfiction: Sarah Viren Ashland University Poetry: Dexter Booth, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Adam Gellings, Tess Taylor, Vanessa Angélica Villareal Fiction: Kirstin Chen, Edan Lepucki, Sarah Monette, Nayomi Munaweera, Vi Khi Nao, Naomi J. Williams, Kyle Winkler Nonfiction: Cass Donish, Kate Hopper, Lauren Markham, Thomas Mira y Lopez, Lisa Nikolidakis, Terese Mailhot Augsburg University Poetry: Michael Kleber-Diggs Fiction: Stephan Eirik Clark, Lindsay Starck Nonfiction: Anika Fajardo  Playwriting: Carson Kreitzer, TyLie Shider, Sarah Myers Screenwriting: Stephan Eirik Clark, Andy Froemke Ball State University Poetry: Katy Didden, Mark Neely Fiction: Cathy Day, Sean Lovelace Nonfiction: Jill Christman, Silas Hansen Screenwriting: Rani Deighe Crowe, Matt Mullins Bard College Jess Arndt, Shiv Kotecha, Mirene Arsanios, Hannah Black, Trisha Low, Christoper Perez, Julian Talamantez Brolaski, Simone White Bath Spa University Poetry: Lucy English, Tim Liardet, John Strachan, Samantha Walton, Gerard Woodward Fiction: Gavin James Bower, Celia Brayfield, Alexia Casale, Anne-Marie Crowhurst, Lucy English, Nathan Filer, Aminatta Forna, Samantha Harvey, Philip Hensher, Steve Hollyman, Emma Hooper, Claire Kendal, Natasha Pulley, Kate Pullinger, C.J. Skuse, Gerard Woodward Nonfiction: Celia Brayfield, Lily Dunn, Richard Kerridge Scriptwriting: Robin Mukherjee Poetry: Lucy English, Tim Liardet, Gerard Woodward Fiction: Gavin James Bower, Celia Brayfield, Anne-Marie Crowhurst, Nathan Filer, Aminatta Forna, Samantha Harvey, Philip Hensher, Claire Kendal, Natasha Pulley, Kate Pullinger, Gerard Woodward Nonfiction: Lily Dunn, Richard Kerridge Bay Path University Mel Allen, Leanna James Blackwell, Jennifer Baker, Melanie Brooks, María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado, Shahnaz Habib, Susan Ito, Karol Jackowski, Yi Shun Lai, Anna Mantzaris, Meredith O’Brien, Mick Powell, Suzanne Strempek Shea, Tommy Shea, Kate Whouley Bennington Writing Seminars at Bennington College Poetry: Jennifer Chang, Michael Dumanis, Randall Mann, Craig Morgan Teicher, Mark Wunderlich Fiction: Peter Cameron, Jai Chakrabarti, Stacey D’Erasmo, Monica Ferrell, Rebecca Makkai, Stuart Nadler, Téa Obreht, Moriel Rothman-Zecher, Katy Simpson Smith, Taymour Soomro Nonfiction: Garrard Conley, Sabrina Orah Mark, Spencer Reece, Lance Richardson, Shawna Kay Rodenberg, Hugh Ryan, Greg Wrenn Binghamton University Poetry: Tina Chang, Joseph Weil Fiction: Amir Ahmdi Arian, Thomas Glave, Leslie L. Heywood, Claire Luchette, Liz Rosenberg, Jaimee Wriston-Colbert, Alexi Zentner Nonfiction: Amir Ahmdi Arian, Leslie L. Heywood Bluegrass Writers Studio at Eastern Kentucky University Poetry: Julie Hensley, Young Smith Fiction: Julie Hensley, Robert Dean Johnson Nonfiction: Robert Dean Johnson, Evan J. Massey Playwriting: Young Smith Boise State University Poetry: Martin Corless-Smith, Sara Nicholson, Taryn Schwilling Fiction: Mitch Wieland (Director), Anna Caritj Creative Nonfiction: Chris Violet Eaton, Clyde Moneyhun Boston University Poetry: Andrea Cohen, Karl Kirchwey, Robert Pinsky Fiction: Leslie Epstein, Jennifer Haigh, Ha Jin Boston University—MFA in Literary Translation Odile Cazenave, Yuri Corrigan, Margaret Litvin, Christopher Maurer, Roberta Micaleff, Robert Pinsky (advising), Stephen Scully, Sassan Tabatabai, J. Keith Vincent, William Waters, Dennis Wuerthner, Cathy Yeh, Anna Zielinska-Elliott Bowling Green State University Poetry: Abigail Cloud, Amorak Huey, Sharona Muir, F. Dan Rzicznek, Larissa Szporluk, Jessica Zinz-Cheresnick Fiction: Joe Celizic, Lawrence Coates, Reema Rajbanshi, Michael Schulz Brigham Young University Poetry: Kimberly Johnson, Lance Larsen, Michael Lavers, John Talbot Fiction: Chris Crowe, Ann Dee Ellis, Spencer Hyde, Stephen Tuttle Nonfiction: Joey Franklin, Patrick Madden Brooklyn College Poetry: Julie Agoos, Ben Lerner Fiction: Joshua Henkin, Madeleine Thien Playwriting: Dennis A. Allen II, Elana Greenfield 162 IMAGES Writing Magazine August Tips Writing Magazine Subscription Top 20 Best Selling Literary Magazines & Journals Poetry & Poets 35 Magazine Templates With Creative Print Layout Designs Writing Magazine Writing Magazine VIDEO Literary Magazines : On Writing Episode 23 Publishing Poetry : Spiritual Poetry Publishing Let your creativity flow 11 Essentials Every Modern Writer Must Have Why All Your Stories Magazine Wasn’t Everything I Expected Monthly Bullet 📖 Journal 📖 Cover (Art Collage with Magazine & Book Pages) COMMENTS Literary Magazines 3Elements Literary Review is a quarterly, online literary journal founded in Chicago in 2013, now based in Des Moines, Iowa. It publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, and photography. Reading Period: Jan 1 to Dec 31. Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction. Subgenres: Flash Fiction, Graphic/Illustrated, Prose Poetry. Over 300 Magazines, Journals, Small Presses Seeking Submissions Now Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we've published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests ... 29 Best Literary Magazines for New Writers to Submit To Black Fox Literary Magazine publishes fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and blog posts. For more of a chance at publication submit fiction from under-represented genres and styles. The word limit is up to 5,000 words for fiction and non-fiction or up to 5 poems. This biannual production has both a summer and winter issue. 20 Respected Literary Journals and Magazines that Publish Creative Writing The Virginia Quarterly Review (VQR) They publish poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction by award winning writers. They pay $200 per poem, and start at $1,000 per fiction piece. Harper's Magazine. Harper's considers unsolicited fiction. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. Literary Journals & Magazines Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we've published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests ... NewPages.com Your Home for Literary Magazines & Submission Opportunities New Magazines August 2024. September 2, 2024. Literary magazines offer readers the newest in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, artwork, and hybrid forms both in print and online. Keep your reading fresh by checking out the New & Noted Literary & Alternative Magazine titles received here at NewPages.com! Each month, we offer readers a round-up of new ... Best Literary Magazines in 2024 Submit it to our directory! The halls of literary success are paved with authors who got their start appearing in literary magazines — such as Zora Neale Hurston, Truman Capote, William Faulkner, Edith Wharton, Ursula Le Guin, J.D. Salinger, George Saunders, Alice Munro, Flannery O'Connor, and many more. Writer's Digest In this interview, author Vincent Ralph discusses finding inspiration in scary movies for his new horror novel, One House Left. By Robert Lee Brewer Aug 26, 2024. Writer's Digest is the No.1 Resource for Writers, Celebrating the Writing Life and What it Means to be a Writer in Today's Publishing Environment. Talking Writing we're talking writing — are you? Talking Writing Inc. © 2019 | All Rights Reserved. | Terms of UseTerms of Use 30 Literary Magazines Accepting Creative Nonfiction This Australian magazine is the publication of Writers Victoria. They accept pitches or articles on writing, as well as fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. They are reading works on the Rip theme for the print magazine. Pay is AUD70 for poetry, and AUD100-200 for other writing. The deadline is 4 September 2023. Creative and Scholarly Writing: Literary Journals & Magazines Explore this list of general literary publications for magazines and journals that publish multiple forms of creative writing such as fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Agni. Agni is printed twice a year and publishes poetry, fiction, essays, reviews, interviews, and artwork. The Antioch Review. The Antioch Review publishes nonfiction essays ... Literary Magazines That Pay Writers: Pitch These 20 Markets Check out this list of 20 literary magazines that pay freelancers: 1. AGNI. This literary magazine offers an assortment of exceptional essays, poems, stories, and translations. TIP: This pub seeks fictional short stories, and non-fiction literary essays, memoirs, reviews. Journalism or academic work is not accepted. 30 Magazines Accepting Creative Nonfiction and Essays Details here. The Four Faced Liar. This is a new print journal; they published their first issue in January 2023. They publish creative nonfiction (up to 4,000 words), fiction, poetry, and art. Pay is €200 for short creative nonfiction and fiction, €100 for a poem or piece of flash, and €100 for art. Top 50 Literary Magazines -Every Writer This list of top 50 literary magazines culminates in 20 years of hard work. I first thought about this list when I got my BFA in Creative Writing. In the early days of the internet, people in the BFA and MFA programs would talk about good and bad literary magazines. It took a lot of work to find online publications. Granta Granta is a literary magazine founded in 1889. Read the best new fiction, poetry, photography, and essays by famous authors, Nobel winners and new voices. Now Open: Fifty Magazines and Five Small Presses Accepting Submissions Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we've published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests ... 20 independent magazines that every creative should have on their Kinfolk magazine. 9. Little White Lies. Passionate about movies since 2005, Little White Lies magazine is an institution in the world of serious film criticism. The leading independent voice in film combines cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism to champion great movies and the people who make them. Submitting to Literary Magazines Some magazines might have a month-long submission window (June 15-July 15, for example) that will automatically close once they reach a certain number of submissions. If, for instance, you only have time to commit to submitting your creative writing in the summer months, you'll want to find magazines that accept submissions in the summertime. Our favorite magazines for writers Beyond the print magazine, WD offers a wealth of resources: workshops, conferences, competitions, and guides to the marketplace. Creative Nonfiction Quarterly. For the essayists among us, an issue of Creative Nonfiction is like two magazines in one. Each issue blends the quality writing of a fine literary journal with topical articles that can ... 11 Indie Literary Magazines You Should Be Reading Worms. Worms is a literary magazine about style: writing style, but also sartorial. We are all worms, Clem Macleod explains in her editor's letter, and "in the end, we're going to be eaten by them. As a Worm, you will fertilise your mind with glorious words.". Using clothes as a way of worming your way into a writer's work is a ... Introducing Writers' Hour Magazine & Our New Weekly Writing Contest! Writers' Hour Magazine is a new publication curated by the team at London Writers' Salon, publishing winning entries from our Weekly Writers' Hour Contest. We aim to celebrate and showcase new writing, support writers around the world, encourage creative health, and explore the writing life in all its richness. Weekly Writers' Hour Contest Nine New Lit Mags You Need to Read Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we've published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests ... CreativePro Magazine Issue 35: Accessibility Tools Accessibility Tools Using the Dimension Tool in Illustrator Writing Scripts with ChatGPT Using the Selection Brush in Photoshop Using the Adjustment Brush in Photoshop Resource of the Month: Fall Foliage Art & Frame Set ... CreativePro Magazine Issue 35: Accessibility Tools. ... CreativePro Network (CPN) has published quality educational ... MFA Programs Database: 255 Programs for Creative Writers Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we've published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis